Wtf nbc? Water-Guzzling Pot Plants Draining Drought-Wracked California

[igrowone]

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/le...s-draining-drought-wracked-california-n149861

yes, the MJ industry is now being blamed for draining northern California rivers
i guess i can't blow that of immediately, not being on the scene like these intrepid reporters
though they do mention that 6 gallons of water a day is needed to cultivate a MJ plant
is it now? anyone out there growing 6 gallon a day beasts?

 

[siftedunity]

lol did they not think of blaming trees?? what ever will they say next??

 

[igrowone]

article content for those adverse to link clicking

California cannabis growers may be making millions, but their thirsty plants are sucking up a priceless resource: water. Now scientists say that if no action is taken in the drought-wracked state, the consequences for fisheries and wildlife will be dire.

"If this activity continues on the trajectory it's on, we're looking at potentially streams going dry, streams that harbor endangered fish species like salmon, steelhead," said Scott Bauer of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Studying aerial photographs of four watersheds within northern California's so-called Emerald Triangle, Bauer found that the area under marijuana cultivation doubled between 2009 and 2012. It continues to grow, with increasing environmental consequences.

Bauer presented data to CNBC indicating that growers are drawing more than 156,000 gallons of water from a single tributary of the Eel River, in Mendocino County, every day.

The average marijuana plant needs about 6 gallons of water a day, depending on its size and whether it's grown inside or outside, according to a local report that cited research. Pot growers object to that number, saying that the actual water use of a pot plant is much less.

...

 

[minds_I]

Hello all,

There are quite a few growers that have little concern about the state of the rivers and streams just as long as they can grow their bud for sales its all about phuque everyone else.

They are running public service ads for illegal diversion. And I say good.

Just the other day, a 2500 plant grow was discovered on public land and next to a a Eel river tributary stream which was being diverted for the grow. Good.

I am down with growing buds but not at the expense of the environment.

Just sayin'

minds_I

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Wtf nbc? Water-Guzzling Pot Plants Draining Drought-Wracked California

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/le...s-draining-drought-wracked-california-n149861


California cannabis growers may be making millions, but their thirsty plants are sucking up a priceless resource: water. Now scientists say that if no action is taken in the drought-wracked state, the consequences for fisheries and wildlife will be dire.

"If this activity continues on the trajectory it's on, we're looking at potentially streams going dry, streams that harbor endangered fish species like salmon, steelhead," said Scott Bauer of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

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Studying aerial photographs of four watersheds within northern California's so-called Emerald Triangle, Bauer found that the area under marijuana cultivation doubled between 2009 and 2012. It continues to grow, with increasing environmental consequences.


Pot draining California water suppliesCNBC



Bauer presented data to CNBC indicating that growers are drawing more than 156,000 gallons of water from a single tributary of the Eel River, in Mendocino County, every day.

The average marijuana plant needs about 6 gallons of water a day, depending on its size and whether it's grown inside or outside, according to a local report that cited research. Pot growers object to that number, saying that the actual water use of a pot plant is much less.

Although the marijuana business has helped revive the local economy, residents may now be feeling the effects of living alongside growers. And, as growers—some legal, some not—face a severe drought, local law enforcement officers expect the fight over natural resources to intensify.

"I never want to see crime increase, but I have a feeling it will, because of the commodities that are up here," said Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey. "When we get to the end of the grow season, which is August and September, the need for enhanced water availability is gonna be there, and I don't think the water's going to be there, so you're going to see people, I believe, having some conflict over water rights."

Stream water rules in California are the same for growers of marijuana as they are for growers of any crop: Growers should divert no more than 10 percent of a stream's flow, and they should halt diversion altogether during late summer, when fish are most vulnerable to low water levels. But Bauer pointed out that those rules apply to permit holders, and most marijuana growers haven't bothered to get permits.

With so much of California's cannabis business operating in the more lucrative underground market, and with so many growers across the region, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Humboldt County Sheriff's office say they lack the resources to take action against all offenders. So they target the most egregious.

"We get those calls daily. People are upset. Somebody has dried up a stream, somebody is building a road across sensitive fish and wildlife habitat, so that is happening on a daily basis," Bauer said. "And we do our best with the personnel we have to respond to those calls."

Sheriff Downey concurred with Bauer about the manpower challenge authorities face.

"We have a very active marijuana unit that is out there, especially during the grow season. But we have so many grows here that we have a hard time keeping up or making a valiant dent in the marijuana growing in the county," said Downey.

"With the increase in water usage and pressure upon that, that lucrative business becomes even more lucrative because the price of the marijuana, the value of it, goes up even though we've had a glut on the market the last few years," he added.

One increasingly popular solution among some growers is the collection of rain water during the wetter, winter months that they can use to water crops during the dry, summer season.

"As long as cannabis farms remain small and decentralized, there's no reason why we can't grow everything we need to meet the state's demands using all stored rain water," says Hezekiah Allen, an environmental consultant and director of public affairs for the Emerald Growers Association.

And for some, it's a business opportunity.


"I've heard people shut down their grow operations, bought water trucks and have changed from growing to supplying waters to the other growers," said Chip Perry, a consultant for MC2, a service that helps people obtain medical marijuana cards.

Ok so this I such a load of propaganda bullshit. Very annoying. Ya it's the pot growers sucking up all the water. Huge Central Valley food farms have no part. I guess all the almond farms in the middle of the god damn desert have no effect either. The melting of all the glaciers in the Sierra Nevada mountain range has no effect either. Nor does the drastic increase in population since the 1950'. Nope it's the pot growers.

 

[norcal_sourD]

Let's not forget the piss poor management of water districts and FOR PROFIT management districts and their consultants who are paid $250 OR MORE AN HOUR in some cases. My local water "district" even hired a FELON as General Managers WITH an PENDING EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGE from Louisiana!! FROM ANOTHER WATER DISTRICT! Then, they gave the dude a swanky severance package, right before he went back to JAIL! Meanwhile, actual small family farms are struggling to pay their water bills, yet some douche can qualify for a special fee reduction for planting a dozen fruit trees! The state's water management should imho saty decentralized, but be MUCH more efficient-ized. lol. It's a dirty game in the water world with a long sordid history that not a whole lot of people care enough about till drought forces us to take a long hard look

 

[Gry]

The state of California now considers fracking to be the "normal use" of water. Gotta hand it to the oil lobby, they know how to get things done with politicians.
Now we know that fracking is just fine, while that damn cannabis is just destroying our precious water !

The "news readers" come out of school with massive debit and great fear of loosing a job in this economy, they will read what ever they are told, with an ever cheerful smile.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

^seriously, where is the fracking out rage. Fucking dumb people worried about pot farmers but fracking uses million of gallons of water and adds poisonous chemicals.

 

[amannamedtruth]

they claim they can treat and put the water back into the ground good as new. I dno bout that...

 

[Bulldog420]

I have to admit, fracking and pot are not problems. Fracking could pull us out of dept, it does have that potential. Obviously pot growers are not contaminating water on a large scale, no more than the home owner with round up. I would still have to see long term effects on fracking in order to poo poo it, but for now it's a fantastic source of energy and revenue.

 

[amannamedtruth]

I'm skeptical of a process that injects millions of gallons of high pressure, chemically treated water into the ground with the intention of breaking the structure of the earth merely to extract a non-renewable resource. Perhaps our time and resources could be saved and better used on something worthwhile and enduring. After all, we need water to live, this fuel is nothing but a luxury.

Pot is not the problem, but stoners have always been a good scapegoat, we generally don't give much of a fuck to pay much mind to their slander, and its easy to keep someone down that's been there for nearly a century.

 

[Betterhaff]

Huge Central Valley food farms have no part. I guess all the almond farms in the middle of the god damn desert have no effect either.

Kind of reminds me of “Chinatown” eh Mr. Gits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh0exWqvxeI

 

[HidingInTheHaze]

I have to admit, fracking and pot are not problems.

Tell that to the people that live in fracking country that have flammable tap water. The documentary "Gasland" shows some real downsides of fracking.
I personally think fracking is a bad idea, you fuck with nature and nature will usually bitch slap you right back. Humans can be very arrogant in their processes.

Pot is not necessarily a problem I will agree with you on that but poor agriculture processes across the board are. Like irrigation for example, some methods can be very wasteful. I think the issue with large scale pot cultivation in california is, anyone can do it, some might know what they are doing but many I bet have no clue how to efficiently manage the land or resources. Pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, running off and entering the water would be my biggest concerns, and in a drought stricken state that produces most of the food for the rest of the country I would rather see the water be used for food production then pot, pot can be grown anywhere, certain food crops not so much. We also can live without pot, we can not live without food, and the less food that can be grown the higher the prices will climb, as if rapid inflation at the grocery store wasn't already a problem this drought is sure to make it worse.

 

[norcal_sourD]

If the central valley farmers all converted to drip or comparable irrigation rather than flooding, we'd see a huge reduction in water use immediately, imho. There is a program to pay for some of these conversions to happen, but my understanding is not enough funding to make much of a dent in the flooding your pasture and crops paradigm. Kinda bass ackwards to me. If homeowners are encouraged to use drip as a matter of course, why not big ag??

And of course, if a good portion of Cali practised xeriscaping, we'd probably be sitting pretty real quik. But don't tell that to a typical LA water user as they wash their car in the Socal desert sun while running the sprinklers on the big gaudy ass lawn lol. No offense LA peeps

Also, perhaps if we restored native prairie grasses and native plants en mass, the soil by and large would hold surface water more efficiently allowing for better water conservation before it even became an issue TO conserve...

 

[HempKat]

I'm just wondering how may of you grow plants that require 6 gallons of water per day? I've never had any plant come even close to that.

 

[stoned-trout]

frack you ...even the main water source here gets dangerously low and its direct from mountains....the water here goes to legal crops more than pot growers...lots of orchards sucking it up..without some serious years of heavy snow in the mountains we are screwed long term..but yall will be screwed first cause the water flows by my pad first...maybe I too need a truck...

 

[armedoldhippy]

If the central valley farmers all converted to drip or comparable irrigation rather than flooding, we'd see a huge reduction in water use immediately, imho. There is a program to pay for some of these conversions to happen, but my understanding is not enough funding to make much of a dent in the flooding your pasture and crops paradigm. Kinda bass ackwards to me. If homeowners are encouraged to use drip as a matter of course, why not big ag??

And of course, if a good portion of Cali practised xeriscaping, we'd probably be sitting pretty real quik. But don't tell that to a typical LA water user as they wash their car in the Socal desert sun while running the sprinklers on the big gaudy ass lawn lol. No offense LA peeps

Also, perhaps if we restored native prairie grasses and native plants en mass, the soil by and large would hold surface water more efficiently allowing for better water conservation before it even became an issue TO conserve...

there you go making sense again. keep it up & your door will be the next one kicked in!

 

[armedoldhippy]

was an article in local paper a few weeks back pointing out how much water pot farmers in Cal were using. directly below it was an article on aquaponics showing how they were using 85 to 90% less water for the same crops compared to outdoors. hmmm...

 

[Nade420xOG]

I feel no guilt other than on my wallet. Dollar store crystal geyser jugs.

 

[igrowone]

^^^ no issue with that, most of the growers here seem to want to be legal to the extent possible
and trashing public lands/water is not how most of us roll
i had more of a problem with that 6 gallon a plant number
toss in obviously made up crap and it gives the impression of trash journalism