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Water Security > CS : California > Flashcards

CS : California Flashcards

1
Q

Where does rain fall in California?

A

in a limited coastal zone less than 250km wide

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2
Q

What do the Sierra Nevada mountains do in California?

A

create a rain shadow over South / Far-East California

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3
Q

How much rain falls in the area under Sierra Nevada’s rain shadow?

A

under 100mm annually

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4
Q

Major rivers fed from snowmelt from Sierra Nevada include…

A

Sacramento and San Joaquin

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5
Q

Where do the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers meet?

A

at San Francisco Bay

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6
Q

Prevailing moist air from the pacific is forced to do what by the Sierra Nevada mountains? What does this create?

A

forced upwards

cools and condenses to form snowfall at higher altitudes

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7
Q

During El Nino what happens in California?

A

increased surface run off and flooding

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8
Q

During La Nina what happens in California?

A

drought

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9
Q

During droughts what happens to groundwater storage levels?

A

decreases

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10
Q

average annual rainfall in Cali

A

200-500mm

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11
Q

Between what months does 50% of Cali’s rain fall? What does this create?

A

November to March

Seasonal shortages

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12
Q

What % of California’s precipitation is lost as evapotranspiration?

A

65%

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13
Q

Between 1900 and 2015 what has California’s population increased by?

A

X20

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14
Q

population expected to grow from today’s numbers to what by 2025?

A

45-50million

another 10million more than today

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15
Q

Where is the mass of demand in California? What fraction of total Californian demand?

A

3/4 of demand south from Sacramento

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16
Q

What fraction of rain falls NORTH of Sacramento? Why is this a problem?

A

75% falls to the north

3/4 of California’s total demand is south

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17
Q

How much water do golf courses in Cali consume annually?

A

90billion

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18
Q

In California what % of water does agriculture receive?

A

80%

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19
Q

What does the federal government do in terms of supplying water to farmers in Cali?

A

supplies it at lower prices

as little as 5% of city prices

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20
Q

What X2 agricultural practices have led to inefficiencies in water management?

A
  • flood irrigation

- inappropriate crop choices (i.e cotton)

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21
Q

What % of water is extracted before reaching Mexico? What did this force?

A

90% extracted before Mexico

Cucupa fishermen forced to move

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22
Q

What fraction of California’s freshwater is from groundwater sources (aquifers)?

A

1/3

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23
Q

How many people rely on the Colorado river for drinking water?

A

25million

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24
Q

What % of Southern California’s water is from the Colorado river?

A

60%

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25
Q

What % of water is taken form the Colorado River more than was predicted in 1963?

A

20%

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26
Q

The Colorado River basin drains what % of the USA?

A

7%

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27
Q

Water from the Colorado River basin is shared between how many US States and what other country?

A

X7 US states and Mexico

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28
Q

What % of the Colorado River Basin is owned by agreement to Native Americans?

A

5%

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29
Q

What X3 factors influence the water collected by the Colorado River Basin

A
  • seasonal variation (incl. El Nino / La Nina)
  • rain from North Pacific Ocean frontal systems
  • snowmelt
30
Q

Where does the Colorado River Basin’s upper and lower basin meet at?

A

Lee Ferry

31
Q

What has happened to the annual flow volume at Lee Ferry since 1900?

A

annual flow volume declining

32
Q

Agreements on the Colorado River were based on what flow patterns? Why is this a problem?

A

those in the fairly wet 20th century

basin has returned to ‘normal’ / dry conditions

33
Q

By 2006 how many people were consuming from the Colorado river Basin?

A

40million

34
Q

What % of the lower basin does California take? Is this above or below their allocated amount?

A

49%

20% more than their 1963 allocation

35
Q

What % does Mexico take of the lower basin?

A

16%

36
Q

Who takes more, the upper or lower basin?

A

lower basin by 10%

37
Q

Benefits of Colorado river (x5)

A
  • flood control
  • irrigation for agriculture
  • industrial development
  • recreational opportunities
  • sediment control
38
Q

Negatives of Colorado river; (x4)

A
  • water loss via seepage
  • salinisation via irrigation
  • groundwater over abstraction
  • environmental damage
39
Q

What % of water can be saved via switching to drought-tolerant plants and drip-irrigation?

A

50%

40
Q

What % of water can be saved via repairing leaks and using metering?

A

30%

41
Q

What type of infrastructure can be designed so as to prevent flooding, but reuse this water?

A

concrete channel storm drains which redirect water to urban parks rather than the sea

42
Q

What is the name for the type of water which involves reusing waste water e.g on landscaping

A

Grey water

43
Q

Reducing agricultural water usage by 10% will do what to water available for urban areas?

A

X2

44
Q

What is important about ‘smart planning?’

A

only build housing where ground supplies adequate

45
Q

When was the Colorado Compact signed?

A

1922

46
Q

What did the Colorado Compact do?

A

divided basin into X2 (upper and lower)

allocated states 7.5million acre feet of annual extraction

47
Q

What did the Colorado compact grant to Mexico in 1944?

A

1mil acre-foot annually

48
Q

What did the Colorado compact grant Mexico in comparison to US states?

A

6.5million acre foot annually less of extraction

49
Q

What did the Supreme Court rule in 1963?

A

Native Americans would be granted to use enough water to irrigate any land where practicable

50
Q

Who has the best water rights along the Lower Colorado River?

A

Native Americans

51
Q

How many native Americans have access to the Colorado river? What % of the river were they granted?

A

10,000

5%

52
Q

What tribe could potentially claim 1/3 of Colorado’s flow?

A

Navajo Tribe

53
Q

What has happened to Lakes Powell and Mead?

A

have reached capacity since 1999

54
Q

Which two lakes in California have not reached capacity since 1999?

A

Powell and Mead

55
Q

In 2007 what new agreement was reached?

A

California would try to reduce amount extracted by 20% by 2016

56
Q

When did California pledge to try to reduce amount extracted by 20% by 2016? What was this in recognition of?

A

2007

recognised climate change realities / threats

57
Q

Name X2 other programmes apart from the Colorado Compact aimed at reducing conflicts or restoring the Colorado basin?

A
  • CALFRED BAY DELTA program

- SALTON SEA RESTORATION PROJECT

58
Q

Name X3 things the CALFRED program will aim to do

A
  • restore ecosystems
  • increase water storage
  • protect Delta islands
59
Q

Where will the CALFRED program focus?

A

Bay Delta region

60
Q

How much is invested into the Salton Sea Restoration Project?

A

$2billion

61
Q

What will the Alton Sea Project aim to do;

A
  • clear up New River from Mexico to reduce pollution
  • desalination project to produce fresh water
    = and sell salt as by-product
62
Q

Which River is the most heavily used source of irrigation water in the USA?

A

Colorado River

63
Q

Environmental Risks associated for people living in Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

A
  • poorly maintained levees
    = submergence of some delta islands
  • Salmon migration paths blocked @ Stockton when oxygen levels get too low
  • water treatment works discharge chlorine
    = some chemicals released have links to cancer
64
Q

How many people live around the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta area

A

0.5million

65
Q

What does the Salton Sea act as in California?

A

acts as receiving basin for runoff from irrigated farmland

66
Q

What 75% of inflow for the Salton Sea is from what source?

A

from irrigation run-off of cotton / citrus crops, including all the pesticides / fertilisers used

67
Q

Evaporation rate in the Salton Sea

A

25% higher than Pacific

68
Q

High salinity and fertilisers from agriculture have caused what? Name an extreme example

A

Eutrophication

death of 7.5million birds / fish in one day

69
Q

How many tourists used to visit Salton Sea? Why are these numbers decreasing?

A

0.5million

Decreasing due to smell of decay / waste

70
Q

Name a state which shares the basin with California?

A

Arizona

71
Q

Who called for the treaty to be negotiated in 2008?

A

Senator John McCain in general election

72
Q

Why is Mexico currently receiving under 10% of the Colorado?

A
  • over abstraction from upstream

- drought conditions leading to lack of precipitation

Water Security (18 decks)

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