Solano County Drought Prevention Can Learn From
Australia
Northern California’s longest and sharpest
drought is trying to learn from Australia which is the planet’s driest
inhabited continent.
Northern Californians are studying how Australia
coped with its “Big Dry Period” from the late 1990s through 2012. Australia’s
city dwellers had to accept tough water supply restrictions as cattle collapsed
and died in barren fields, monstrous wildfires killed 173 people, and scores of
farms went under.
Australia trades water. Australia’s efficiency
programs reduced water supply use to 55 gallons, compared with 105 gallons per
day in California.
California drought expert Linda Botterill of the
University of Canberra says California droughts are here to stay.
California water officials routinely cite
Australia’s experience. Solano County agriculture and California at lerge will
have to cut farm water use.
Solano watershed property owners often face
higher risks of fire. Even if a house on the Solano watershed property is made
to be 100% fire proof, what about other structures on the raw land? Who wants a
piece of Solano watershed property if all or most of the natural vegetation
from Oak trees to brush burn down?
Northern Californian farmers still say
Australia’s medicine is much too cumbersome. Solano real estate prices will be
effected. For example Solano watershed property owners, plus buyers and sellers
of Solano agricultural land may see big drops in watershed land values.
Northern Californians enjoyed and wasted abundant
water for years. How will Vacaville’s and Fairfield’s underground water hold up
in the hills and mountains such as in the Vaca Mountain and Blue Ridge mountain
ranges? Solano County’s underground water is often running dry with the
California water pumps going full force.
Australian National University says, “…the main
difference between California and Australia is they’re dominated by a
legalistic approach and dominated by rights….Australia’s is a…. more
public-policy approach.”
While there may be years when rains may return to
normal, the overall impact on Solano farmers and watershed property owners in
Fairfield, Vacaville and Napa looks very bad.
Yes Solano And California In General Are Getting Bad News. The Drought Will Negatively Effect Farm And Watershed Land Values In Vacaville, Fairfield, Napa and the rest of California.
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