From the California Department of Water Resources White Paper, pdf, dated 10/08:
While the exact conditions of future climate change remain uncertain, there is no doubt about the changes that have already happened. Analysis of paleoclimatic data (such as tree-ring reconstructions of streamflow and precipitation) indicates a history of naturally and widely varying hydrologic conditions in California and the west, including a pattern of recurring and extended droughts. The average early spring snowpack in the Sierra Nevada decreased by about 10 percent during the last century, a loss of 1.5 million acre-feet of snowpack storage (one acre-foot of water is enough for one to two familes for one year). During the same period, sea level rose seven inches along California’s coast. California’s temperature has risen 10 F, mostly at night and during the winter, with higher elevations experiencing the highest increase. A disturbing pattern has also emerged in flood patterns; peak natural flows have increased on many of the state’s rivers during the last 50 years. At the other extreme, many Southern California cities have experienced their lowest recorded annual precipitation twice within the past decade. In a span of only two years, Los Angeles experienced both its driest and wettest years on record.
And here's one (just one) of the central problems forecast for the state's future:
Okay, enough ominousity for one year...on to happier topics in the days remaing ahead.
