Congress Created Dust Bowl!
Yesterday, while driving back from Redding, California to Topanga – 550 miles all by myself – I kept seeing bright yellow, somewhat cryptic signs that simply said, “Congress Created Dust Bowl.”
No more information, no link for follow up. It seemed like a protest, but it was a confusing one, to say the least.
I looked it up last night, and it turns out it’s a complicated situation, caught up in California’s confusing, controversial water rights issues. Many people don’t know this, but there is a large aqueduct system that transports water from Northern California to Southern California. (It’s actually quite a beautiful thing to see while making this drive.) The Northern Californians aren’t that excited about it, because really they’d like their water to themselves.
Now much of the farmland in the southern part of the Central Valley has no natural water, so to grow crops they require water to be transported to them from the Aqueduct.
Those seem to be the facts that no one disputes.
Here’s where the controversy in terms of the “Congress Created Dust Bowl” starts.
First, many people say that because a 2 inch endangered fish – the delta smelt – that was being put at risk by the pumps of the aqueduct system – the transportation of water to these farms was halted.
Others say that rich agri-industrialists bought up this cheap desert land and then relied on government subsidized water to transform it all into farmland. But then Congress no longer subsidized the transportation of that water – and told the large industrial farms that they’d have to pay full price to have water sent to their farms, because the cities and large populations in Southern California had to be prioritized.
Others say there is only a dustbowl because the industrial farms aren’t properly rotating their crops and instead are focused on cheap, fast plowing methods that bring about short term profits at the expense of rich top-soil, causing it to eventually dry up and blow away.
Then there are those who contend that the industrial farmers are simply trying to make a political point, and leaving the fields near the highway dry and dusty, while still watering the fields farther from the road as normal. They just want to make it look like they’re suffering because they want that cheap government subsidized water again, so they’re appealing to those driving on I-5.
Now, all of this is very interesting to me, but the weirdest part of this whole drama?
Maybe it’s because of the rain lately, who knows. But Jonathan and I actually always laughed when we first saw these angry “Congress Created Dust Bowl” signs. Why? Because the fields as far as the eye could see were a bright verdant emerald green. Not an speck of dust, or even tan.
If that’s a Dust Bowl, I’d like to see fertile fields!
Mystery solved! How was the lonely drive?
It was not so bad, honestly. I drove the whole thing straight with two stops of about ten minutes time off the road, total. I like making that drive, lots to see and think about, and straight away with no traffic lights for hundreds of miles.
interesting jason…these are the kinds of issues that draw people into the political arena…i was furious in the seventies that three of the worst epa hazardous waste dump sites were within three miles of our home….and that they were also on top of the aquifer from which delawareans were getting their drinking water….eventually a law was past to stop this practice….introduced by congressman davis…(you probably knew the sons)
I’m glad to finally know something that Ron and Steve Davis’ dad did – I always wondered! Now he was a state senator/rep, not in Washington, right? (Or am I wrong?)
I swear this whole state’s political raison d’etre is water! It’s the great California struggle. Who’s got it? Who needs it? It really seems to thread through the whole history of the state. I guess in hearing this – the north sending water to the south – I’m a little surprised that the political talk of splitting the state in half to make two states – a North California and a South California – hasn’t gained more traction.
I swear this whole state’s political raison d’etre is water! It’s the great California struggle. Who’s got it? Who needs it? It really seems to thread through the whole history of the state. I guess in hearing this – the north sending water to the south – I’m a little surprised that the fringe political talk that crops up every now and again of splitting the state in half to make two states – a North California and a South California – hasn’t gained more traction.
Well, I think the Southern part of the state would really not go for that at all!! Where would we get our water? BUt it’s really true… water is a HUGE deal here, all over the state.
Doc–you can say THAT again
jase–so interesting. I really like reading these kinds of things. And what’s the truth? Whatever it is, you know money is involved. It always is.
I think all the facets are probably somewhat true, but my uninformed opinions makes me think it is the poor management of the fields and the missing of cheap water that is (was?) contributing to the dust-bowel-ness – which again, I certainly didn’t witness.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident was staged. Pearl Harbor was a setup. Maybe. We may never know…
Did you know that the government regulates the price of milk?
“March Fourth!” is rapidly approaching. You have thoroughly convinced me that you have the best possible birthday. yep.
Wow, I somehow managed to get the legendary Shane to post on my blog – AND to share his vast knowledge of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. That’s a double whammy to be sure!
And yes, the only date that is also a command and a call to action – “March Forth!” is on it’s way. What bold move shall we all make to commemorate it?
well, you betta make the bold move of opening my bday present for you, that’s fo sho!!!
I’m really looking forward to it, if anything just to answer the age-old question of whether it’ll be L or XL.
haha yeah!
me: “so jase, should I get you a large or extra-large?”
you: “yes.”
thanks!!!
and p.s. it’s gonna be a little late…:/
Jase is actually telling you he wants two shirts
Jase is actually telling you he wants two shirts