Wednesday my hiking group gathered at Coyote Hills Regional Park to see the sun set over the San Francisco Bay and the Wolf Moon rise over the Diablo Range. Since I’m easing back into hiking, Coyote Hills seemed a perfect re-entry point. Although I got myself hopelessly lost here the first time I came, it was pleasant hiking over the rolling hills, none more than 400 feet high, along marsh and shoreline. The pluses were birds, birds and more birds, since the park backs up on the Don Edwards Refuge, a major migratory stop for hundreds of bird species — some of them very rare. The minuses — well, the danger of being dive bombed by birds and a distinctly marshy smell. Because, aside from the low rolling hills, the whole area is very marshy.
As we set off at a fast clip, determined to reach our vantage point by sunset, at first all seemed the same. Then, I noticed the difference. No birds overhead. And those huge stretches of green reeds were brown. Where they had been alive with water fowl, now: nothing. And where was that marshy smell? Crossing one of the boardwalk trails that leads over the marshes, suddenly all became frighteningly clear.
The lack of marshy smell was because we had a distinct lack of marsh. At least if you define marsh as including water.
Looking closely it was clear what had happened. The marsh is slightly higher than the Bay. But with no rain to replenish the marsh, the whole ecosystem had dried. Or maybe the marsh isn’t lower than the Bay. Maybe the Bay down here at the South end has lowered and stopped feeding the marsh. In any case, it’s all bad news. Not only had the water dried up, but in the course of that process, the area had gotten more and more highly saline. That seems to have caused a large reed die-off, in addition to the lack of water. While the sea birds still have the Bay, there are many birds who require brackish, less saline areas for their migration stops. They won’t find it here. I don’t know how fast or if a marsh area like this can rebound from something like this.
Because the marsh isn’t just low on water, it seems to be completely down to at least half a foot below the surface.
It’s not as if a drought is something we haven’t been worried about. And, in Napa and Sonoma, winemakers have been panicking since November came and went without appreciable rain. But none of us thought things were this bad already.
Anyone who’s lived here for more than a few years knows how odd and frightening it is to have tinder dry brown hills in January. Usually, these hills are a green more brilliant than anything you’ll see outside of Ireland.
We also found ourselves looking fearfully at the Bay side of the park. Is the San Francisco Bay low on water as well?
Granted, this is shallow end of the Bay where levees and salt collection areas make it even shallower.
So why are we having no rain when the rest of the country is socked in with precipitation. The San Jose Mercury News gave the best explanation I’ve heard yet. Imagine a huge high pressure system. Think really, really huge. As in as large as the entire Sierras. That system has parked itself off the coast of California thirteen months ago and since then has been blocking all our usual storms. In fact, it’s been deflecting them up North to Canada where the Polar Vortex has shot them down through the middle of the country. So all you people in the Midwest and East who are buried in snow, those are our storms. That’s our water.
Here it is in horrible living color. Credit: San Jose Mercury News.
Temperature changes can bring about high pressure systems. And this one is unprecedented since weather patterns have been charted. It’s bigger, badder and more persistent than the pressure system that caused California’s last big drought. And nobody can say when and if it will break up and let the rain through.
At this point, if I see another Facebook post of Al Gore covered with snow with a caption like “What Global Warming?” I’m going to scream. Because this is serious, folks. It’s happening. It’s here. And it’s real.
And if you are a die-hard Red Stater who could care less about California, check your grocery prices. We feed a good part of America. And, in agricultural regions, farmers are already fallowing fields, preparing to plant fewer crops and discussing rationing.
Get ready for $10 broccoli and the $4 head of lettuce.
The Wolf isn’t just in the moon. It’s at the door.
Been so busy thinking about my garden, the farmers and the mountains I had not given a thought to coastal marshes affected by the drought.I am a 8th generation Californian and what I am seeing scares me.I was up hwy. 50 Monday and I have never seen so little snow on the Sierras in January in my 50 plus years.I worry that the wildlife that is already so pressured by urban sprawl will not be able to recover from the added pressure of prolonged drought.And what about our Bees? Thank you for pointing our another aspect of this to me.
Well written and powerful post. I’m astonished that no one has initiated water ration
Ning as yet. Are the water officials asleep?
A powerful and important message. Thank you so much. As my friend Murray once wrote: “pray for rain.”
Well said. We should have six feet of snow on the ground and we have about six inches.
I’m in the water trade in California. I can assure you that water officials are far from asleep. The ag community has been water thrifty for quite some time as a good business practice. California cycles through drought situations regularly; however the general population may not be aware. They have lives to live. Nonetheless, it’s very important for Californians to be water wise always. I would be interested to learn how Northern Californians feel about the proposed tunnels around the delta delivering water more efficiently to Southern California.
As always, I remain your blog reader from the “reddest” area of California.
Thanks for weighing in Maybelline. I think water officials have been warning us of impending drought for a long while. Farmers have been working on increasing water efficiency for a long time. Here in Northern California — where all the water is — we are acutely aware of the issues as we can see those reservoirs draining down and the lack of snowpack. But I think most people in large Southern California cities aren’t aware — because they turn on the tap and loads of water pours out. During the last drought, we were stopping the shower and hauling water out in buckets to water plants and flush toilets. But my friends from LA would call up and say, “This rationing is a bitch. WE can only wash our cars once a week.” Wash a car? We didn’t even know what that was for years! So it seems the rationing and conserving wasn’t done equitably — either by choice or by mandate.
Maybelline, I think diverting water is a mistake in the long run, as it encourages growth unsustainably. I’m in Northern California. However, I am under no illusions about that. Growth in desert areas like So Cal will continue and people will demand water and the governments will move heaven and earth to provide it even though it makes no sense.
Water boils down (pun intended) to power and money. And there is lots & lots of both in this very political game. Not all Southern Californians are dopes. Those of us close to ag in the Central Valley are very aware. It’s a very interesting business to be in and to watch.
My other half’s sister lives outside Boise ID. Lack of snow in mountains means lack of water later in the year. The scariest thing about the West, for me, is the water situation. So many depending upon the same source. And that is in a good year, not this drought trauma time.
Hope there is some relief soon. Horrible, just horrible. We have water aplenty here in Kentucky, have to tend to it and value it as the precious resource that it is. Taken so much for granted.
You didn’t think the water situation could get any worse, but it will. Announcements from the state next week. DRINK MORE WINE.
Except, Maybelline, we in wine country have been panicking since November of last year. While we’ll start to have wines from 2013 through 2014, the 2014 harvest is going to be pitiful without rain. Expect wine shortages starting in 2015.
And today THAT announcement I hinted of was made today. 0% is the state water allocation this year. This has never happened in the years the State Water Project has been in existence. With any commodity, scarceness makes the price go up. There are many opportunists that will make an obscene amount of money because of this drought diaster while many more of us are working together to make groundwater supplies stretch. 2014 will certainly be an historic year.
Lisa, what is your source for irrigation?
We have a well, but of course, everyone up at this end of the valley is dipping a straw into that aquifer. We have just installed two cisterns to catch rain water and dew from the roofs of all our buildings here. Amazing how much water we can get just from a few days of heavy dew.
I’ve been following the price of water. Recently the starting bid for a 10,000 acre-foot block of water started at $600/AF. SHEZAM! That’s crazy. The winning bid was $1,350/AF. Good grief. This is going to get beyond obscene before spring begins. Hope the current chain of storms helps up your way. We should only see remnants of those clouds down here.