California's STRESSED WATER SYSTEM:A PRIMER

摘要

The scope of water's role in California is just as diverse and complex as the state's climate, geography, and urban, agricultural, and economic landscapes. This is a state that stretches nearly 700 miles in length, hosts both the highest and lowest points in the Lower 48 states, and has climate zones that range from coastal to highlands to deserts. Its average annual rainfall varies from over 150 inches in the northwestern mountains to less than two inches in Death Valley. The Golden State has seen mega-floods and extended years of drought. California also has the largest population, largest economy, and largest agricultural values of any state. And the state's very livelihood is significantly impacted by the amount of water that falls from the sky, how that water is stored and transported, and how it is used (or not used).