Pot plants are slurping up CA's water.......

[Scott V]

Not to pile on so to speak but there's an article on this subject in the latest issue of the California Fly Fisher Mag.

Scott,.... Pot growers are farmers, too....

The main difference between marijuana growers and regular farmers is that they use drip systems which is what all farmers should be using. Drip systems take water to exactly where you want the water without any waste. I designed irrigation systems for years, and what the farmers are using today is so old and wastes tons of water.

I won't even get into how the farmers are selling water for a marked up price compared to what they paid for it. Even though they claim they need more water.

[Darian]

Scott,.... My comment about pot growers being farmers, too wasn't meant to offend you.

However, you might be missing something in all of this. IMO, the point being made is that diversion without permits/water rights is illegal by itself (let alone that growing pot for sale is still (arguably) illegal. In one article, the grows in question are located in Humboldt County near small to tiny surface water sources that are tributary to rivers up there. Water for irrigation of any sort (even drip systems) has to come from somewhere and, in this case, it's coming from small streams/creeks. In Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, many of those small streams are spawning tributaries for Salmon/Steelhead. When a number of grows occur on or near the same small source, as they have on Salmon Creek and/or other tribs, it tends to dry them up with predictable results. Rural pot growers have no legal water rights. Add to that, they're growing an (arguably) illegal crop and don't pay for their water as an urban grower might. As was pointed out in the articles, the run-off from these illegal grows is polluted with fertilizers and rodent poisons and the polluted water runs off to a small waterway. Finally, drying up any and/or all waterways magnifies/contributes to drought conditions.

I'm not OK with any of that (even if they use drip irrigation systems).

[Scott V]

Darian, you can't offend me. OK maybe if you dropped into my fishing hole.

[Larry S]

Scott and Darian,
You two need to meet and smoke the peace pipe (or something else.)
Water is the most precious commodity there is. Desal!
Best,
Larry S

[Darian]

The Tuesday edition of the SacBee report that several law enforcement agencies have joined in an effort to raid illegal pot grows on the Yurok Res., on the Klamath watershed. The article illustrates the negative impacts of these grows on the people, land, rivers/streams in that area.

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/23/657...d-to-help.html

In a second article in today's edition, water temps in the Klamath watershed are already warming enough to cause Salmon mortality. Easy to see how illegal diversion contributes/compounds impacts of the drought.

http://www.save-fish.com/gear.html

[SeanO]

Think your second link is incorrect?

Maybe you meant: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/07/24/658...ll-salmon.html

Sad that the fish are already dying since it's so early in the season yet. I hear they got some precipitation in the form of giant hail stones this week though.

Best,

[Darian]

Thanks for the correction. Sure seems like all of the gods (drought/El Nino/diversion, etc.) are all lining up to lay a colossal whammy on Salmon/Steelhead, and others, this year.