California finally declares an official drought yet the new measures will make things worse long-term since they encourage overuse of groundwater. Aquanomics says raise the price of water and put restrictions on over pumping and diverting water flows. Then maybe the aquifers won’t keep being depleted.
I suggested that higher prices would be better than restrictions on certain uses (especially if politicians get to send people checks to rebate the excess revenue). I also suggested that farmers need to stop overdrafting groundwater, but it seems that the declaration — which suspends environmental regulations on water use/transfers — may reward farmers’ overdrafting as well as helping them do greater environmental harm by diverting low flows.
Bottom Line: Nobody ever says the Sahara is in drought.
California doesn’t have a workable, state-wide, equitable water plan. It can’t keep drop kicking creating one doing into the future. It needs the plan now.