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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Quote: Originally posted by gnukid  |
California became successful because of effective water management to create the Northern California Delta to support farming and Hetch Hetchy system,
both of which supported growth and success. Why its all failing now is another story...
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None of the water from Hetch Hetchy is used for agriculture. It all goes to the residents of San Francisco.
The California Delta at this time only supports farms local to the SF delta.
California's central valley agri business is supported by a series of dams on all the Sierra rivers that flow westward into the Sacramento and San
Joaquin Rivers. With the diminishing snowpacks their future does not look bright to me.
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gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4410
Registered: 7-2-2006
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Perhaps there are some lessons to be learned from the Delta system and the Hetch Hetchy system for Baja?
In Baja we have aquifers and spring water, with a few dams while we have massive run off into the ocean and very little storage
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
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| Quote: Originally posted by gnukid | Perhaps there are some lessons to be learned from the Delta system and the Hetch Hetchy system for Baja?
In Baja we have aquifers and spring water, with a few dams while we have massive run off into the ocean and very little storage
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True, but where to build these dams? Predicting when and where the most water is going to fall is probably almost impossible. Just look at the
various amounts of rainfall distributed by Kay.
Damming every canyon seems a quixotic effort.
John
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JDCanuck
Super Nomad
Posts: 1159
Registered: 2-22-2020
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| Quote: Originally posted by John Harper | We've also realized how dams have consequences that may cost more than they are worth. Devastation of the native salmon and steelhead populations
has cost billions of dollars of sustainable aquaculture and sporting use. Lots of dams are being destroyed as they age out, and the benefits of
natural flows are better understood. Look at the Los Angeles River being restored today. The less concrete channeling, the better absorption and
replenishment of water tables.
John |
No doubt we have learned a lot about the beneficial effects of seasonal flooding in enhancing salmon runs, and whenever I read about a newly proposed
dam, the environmental engineers are taking this into account.
Overall, the benefits of a thoroughly studied new system far outweighs the negatives, providing controlled agricultural irrigation to areas that were
previously not farmable due to the unreliable flood/drought conditions., while at the same time allowing release of backed up water when it otherwise
would not be available. The bonus is the available renewable clean power they can provide.
I have far more trust in the environmental engineers than I do an uneducated group of protestors that set themselves up as being experts with no
educational backing for their claims.
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
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Yes, and no one realizes now what the Owens Valley was like before the LA aqueduct was built and completed in 1913. The entire valley was lush, with
orchards of apple, peach, and other stone fruits. Massive flocks of ducks, geese, and others on Owens Lake. All gone in just a few years.
As we are today, some of our efforts can have devastating consequences, intended or not. I'm sure we've got some "skeletons in the closet" we have
yet to discover as humans.
Same as it ever was.
John
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JDCanuck
Super Nomad
Posts: 1159
Registered: 2-22-2020
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I'm a big fan of shared resources between the three countries that make up NAFTA. Our most recent hydro expansion was designed to continue exporting
renewable power from our excess. While it was planned for decades, it was a big battle to get it passed against the anti-trade forces that stalled it
for so long making it far more expensive in the process. I think Baja too has untapped water resources that have yet to be developed that everyone
will benefit by within a cooperative environment.
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3687
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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Hetch Hetchy- a true national tragedy
As John Muir said "Better to flood the Cistine Chapel" and make the ceiling more accessible to view from a rowboat.
Years ago they proposed dams in Grand Canyon, which crazy notion was instantly shouted down
Yet, in the gorgeous valley that rivals the neighboring Yosemite Valley the City of San Francisco was allowed to defile this natural wonder.
To make it worse, no fishing, no boating, no swimming allowed!
All this in one of our favorite national parks. Just so SF can have pure and sweet mountain water.
Every year I take a group of hikers up to spend some hours hiking up to the falls. Before you go with me you must agree to relieve yourself into the
lake, at least once, more if you can drink enough liquids.
It is the least that we can do to salute our royalty of San Francisco.
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Don Pisto
Super Nomad
Posts: 1228
Registered: 8-1-2018
Location: El Pescador
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Mood: weary like everyone else
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Yvon Chouinard's take on dams, a remarkable man who just gave away his company in the name of climate change...of course he's no nomad.
https://www.patagonia.com/stories/telling-the-dam-truth/stor...
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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bajaric
Senior Nomad
Posts: 600
Registered: 2-2-2015
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gnukid wins!
the large storm spread rainfall over an area of a thousand miles, as also was predicted here on Nomad on Sept 5. Still, nowhere near as damaging as
some of the other rainfall / wind events. Rosa washed out several large bridges on Hwy. 5, Kay was just a little breeze with some much needed rain
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64476
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The Puertecitos Facebook page just showed photos of the hot spring pool filled with gravel and rocks following the hurricane. They are shoveling them
out. Photos shared on my VivaBaja Facebook page.
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13033
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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Wow...weird the last few pages have zilch to do with Hurricane Kay...what else is new...so onto Kay news again...here is the short version of my Kay
adventure.
I just got back yesterday from San Felipe where we evacuated to avoid the storm but it got hit worse than Asuncion! There was crazy flooding just like
on TV...water up to car tops.
Highway 5 was an adventure like an apocalyptic scenario with big rocks and boulders strewn all over the highway and not a soul driving on it...it
was eerie. I figured when we saw no cars for 4 hours there must be a washout somewhere.
Lo & behold we got held up at 2 spots where washouts occurred that were posted a few pages back.
We had fun being stuck just north of Jesus Maria with the Ride Baja dudes who had a nice big shade roof to sit under as we were sweating balls in the
scorching heat. Some great laughs and they had cold beer! It was an honour to meet Andy & Annie Grider who were heading for their home with their
boat to La Bocana. They were heros at that mess as they set up their starlink system and that is how the Rider boys got messages out and posted on
social media. They also let the authorities use it as well as the common folks to get urgent messages out to family about being stranded. It was a
nice sight to see them helping so many people.
When it was clear we were going to be held up a couple days there, Sirena, Izaak my grandson and I decided to wade across the running arroyo. That was
fun at dark stumbling through not knowing what was under you. Andy Grider was my sherpa and helped us cross! We were able to text a friend to come and
pick us up at the gas station in Jesus Maria a mile away. We also ordered tacos for the crowd, beer & smokes for the RideBaja blokes. Good thing
our ride was a big beefy race truck as the ride back to GN was insane driving through lakes of water.
Dropped off Sirena & Izaak and headed for home the next day. Our new place sustained quite a bit of damage. The roofing flew off like nearly
everyone elses...luckily only in the kitchen but the place took on alot of water. Guerrero Negro was underwater in a few places and lots of damage.
Hoping to get home the last stranding was at km 34 on the highway between Vizcaino & Bahia Asuncion & Tortugas. The whole road caved in and
the river was racing through it so back to GN. The next day they tried to fix it but didnt have big enough culverts or machinery or rock and the 100
loads of dirt they dumped on it got washed away...oooops. Who was the smart road engineer there?
Back to Vizcaino for the night and instead of waiting another day we decided to take the Abreojos road in as the Griders got through with their boat!
The road was pretty good except at another huge part of missing road but they built the go around when the waster receded. EAsy going to Abreojos
& La Bocana. The towns were getting cleaned up nice but still lots of damage evident.
We heard from Ross that a couple pickups had made it through on the coast road which surprised me so we figured we could make it. My ride was a
skookum new 4X4 Chevy with a snorkel and outfitted for off road. It was well tested on that road...it was real dicey in parts but we made it through.
Then at San Hipolito we met the grader so it was smooth sailing all the way home from there.
Luckily Asuncion dodged the bullet and hardly had any damage. The sea wall held mostly, the wind wasnt more than 50 knots judging by my plants that
mostly survived. Crazy but it seems like the best place to be is where it directly hits as the eye had a few hours of no wind or rain and even some
sun while all around us was devastation...weird. All is well at the Inn with just some clean up and drying out to do...we are open.
What an adventure...never again will I evacuate out of town!
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5805
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Online
Mood: Retireded
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Quite the ride Shari!
I'm glad that the damage to your Inn is minimal, considering what it went through.
I look forward to checking it out on my way down to Todos Santos, or possibly on my return trip in mid October.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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