California water

[Michael Perelman]

Passed over in the article is the way that one group can claim ownership
to water that it used by others.  For example, a local irrigation
district can agree to sell water rights, which means pumping the water
out from under my house.  As the water table declines, my neighbors and I
will just have to dig deeper for water.  That sort of transaction is
becoming common.

The water table is sinking fast around the state.  Plans have been on the
table for a long time to bring water down from Canada or Alaska, but so
far that has not been done.

At the same time, the quality of the remaining water declines.
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu