*Good luck, Los Angeles.... I haven't forgotten your kindly people or the many things I learned there.
Link: Planet Ark : Water Precious in Driest Southern California Year .
Water Precious in Driest Southern California Year
US: July 2, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Southern California marked its driest year since records began 130 years ago, with less than 3.2 inches (8.1 cm) of rain falling on downtown Los Angeles in the 12 months to June 30, 2007.
Following are some key facts about water in the naturally semi-arid region: – Local water alone would support about 3 million people compared to the actual population of 18 million.
– Most of Southern California's water is imported via three 242-mile (389-km) aqueducts from the Owens Valley below the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the Colorado River.
– The 1913 building of the Owens Valley aqueduct triggered a struggle over water rights known as the California Water Wars that later formed part of the basis of the 1974 movie "Chinatown."
– The last official droughts in Southern California were in 1987-1993 and 1929-1934.
– California has a history of drought, sometimes lasting 100 years, as far back as 1,100 years ago.
– Author John Steinbeck, writing of the Salinas Valley in the early 20th century in his novel "East of Eden", said: "And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way."
