Water23

This past spring and summer were unusually wet in the New England region. Heavy rainfalls in June put a damper on the beginning of summer trips to the beach. In fact, many farmers in the area were worried that their crops would be ruined by too much rain.

While New England experienced torrents of rain, on the other side of the United States, California is in the midst of a three-year drought. This crisis is having severe impacts on the local economy and quality of life. Californians are being forced to curtail their water usage. Because of water shortages, California farmers have left over half a million acres of agricultural land unplanted.

In the San Joaquin Valley’s, known as the “nation’s breadbasket,” the drought is having devastating affects on the farms. This region produces over half the fruits, nuts and vegetables for the rest of the United States. This drought has made the U.S. more dependent on imported agricultural produce and these imports often has higher rates of contaminants, such as Salmonella.

The prolonged drought has intensified some of the water issues that have developed as California has grown and become the world’s eight largest economy. The following video provides a good overview of how California’s water crisis developed and some of the ramifications.

In the following video, California farmers speak about their endangered livlihoods.

For more information, see:

• California’s Water: A Crisis We Can’t Ignore
• California’s Drought