

El Niño weather event is biggest since 1997, may trigger soaking winter storms - sinak
http://www.mercurynews.com/drought/ci_28458401/california-drought-el-nino-weather-event-is-biggest

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delbel
If we were really motivated, we could start a gigantic project to build more
reservoirs and lakes up in the mountains to capture this rain. Even if they
were to fill only every 10-20 years I'm sure there'd be some cost benefits
over desalination. Even if they leaked. Long term protection from run off
erosion of the top soil would outweigh any short term environmental costs.
Think permaculture on a massive terraforming scale.

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Jedd
A more permaculture approach would be to decrease run-off rates / increase
infiltration capacity of soils over the entire region -- almost by definition
permaculture isn't big on massive terraforming projects.

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adrianN
Changing run-off rates of an entire region _is_ a massive terraforming
project.

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Jedd
Yes, I see your point.

I was responding to the specifics of the parent comment -- the suggestion to
build reservoirs and lakes, which are necessarily large cost, time-consuming,
high-impact, often high-maintenance, logistically challenging activities in
comparison to, for example, simpler methods of improving temporary slowing and
long-term infiltration and holding capacity features of soils.

I'm thinking of very effective but definitely small scale activities -- one or
two people with a small dozer or bobcat over a few days -- to install contour
or keyline swales and bunds, erect fencing to exclude wild animals or
livestock from sensitive areas, re-seeding / re-planting with more appropriate
species, and so on.

I guess it's a semantic question at some point -- but I think that because you
_can_ apply these activities over an entire region doesn't necessarily make it
a massive terraforming project, nor more importantly does it necessarily need
to be.

Massive projects engender feelings of helplessness and a kind of
'responsibility abrogation' for many individuals, often including an
assumption that government and/or big-business are necessary to manage them,
that it will be extremely costly, that it will take many years or decades to
implement, and longer yet to have an effect. (And, if we're being cynical, a
tacit assumption that it probably won't work anyway.)

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junto
California needs this as snow though right? Flash floods and the water ends up
in the sea. Snow and the water is available as it melts over the year.

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Shivetya
Yeah because one of California's issues is they put into place extensive means
to direct rain water into the ocean. Only one city went the route of creating
aquifers to retain it; their name escapes me at the moment.

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bebop
The city's name is Downey. Here is an article that kinda talks about it, half
way through: [http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-
nature/20141203/how...](http://www.dailynews.com/environment-and-
nature/20141203/how-does-los-angeles-county-use-storm-water-runoff)

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daurnimator
Bad news for australia :(
[http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a008-el-
nino-...](http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a008-el-nino-and-
australia.shtml)

[http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/tracker/](http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/tracker/)

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vfrogger
This is great news, if only for the reason that there will be more Chris
Farley GIF's on the internet.

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cos2pi
For those interested, the monthly report the article refers to is the
NOAA/Climate Prediction Center ENSO discussion:

[http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/en...](http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/analysis_monitoring/enso_advisory/ensodisc.html)

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rav
The title should say "may trigger soaking winter storms in California".

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evan_
Are you implying there are places in the world other than California?
Interesting, this might require some further research.

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3solarmasses
Indeed. I'm also interested in learning about these mythical non-california
places.

