California's 'phantom lake' returns with a vengeance (Vista, Tulare: house, tax)

[Vision67]

An entire California city could be submerged by Tulare Lake. Now it’s scrambling to ward off disaster

Water from once-dead Tulare Lake is lapping at the levees in the city of Corcoran. Some say it’s only a matter of time before it spills over, submerging the city.

free link: https://www.sfchronicle.com/climate/...harecount=NQ==

"With California’s Sierra Nevada buried in historic snow, shattering a century of records at peaks and passes, the emerging melt-off is raising widespread fears of flooding. Nowhere is the concern greater than Corcoran.

In this San Joaquin Valley city of 22,500, where already the famously dry Tulare Lake is being revived by mountain runoff, water is lapping against the levees that stand between the farm town and flooding. Some say it’s only a matter of time before the water spills over, submerging Corcoran as well as the state prison there.

To ward off disaster, the community has set out to do what even in the best of times can be tough: raise its roughly 15 miles of levee by about4 feet. Not only do local leaders not have the money to do this, they want the project done in a matter of weeks."

[dustin183]

Originally Posted by HereOnMars

If the water is contained in the lake but destructive if it causes widespread damage to homes in the area.

Well, the land really belongs to mother nature, as it was hers since the beginning of time. We drained it and made it a man-made thing. Fine, but we know the risks. It's low lying so it is where the water wants to go.

But, I do wonder how it was for centuries. What kind of habitat it was for animals and plants. Then we destroyed it. Maybe we should be more thoughtful about destroying habitats. Hard for me to feel sorry for anyone. They likely have flood insurance. People should think carefully about building in wetlands. There is plenty of higher elevated lands to build on.

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by dustin183

Well, the land really belongs to mother nature, as it was hers since the beginning of time. We drained it and made it a man-made thing. Fine, but we know the risks. It's low lying so it is where the water wants to go.

But, I do wonder how it was for centuries. What kind of habitat it was for animals and plants. Then we destroyed it. Maybe we should be more thoughtful about destroying habitats. Hard for me to feel sorry for anyone. They likely have flood insurance. People should think carefully about building in wetlands. There is plenty of higher elevated lands to build on.

right. what were they thinking draining this like? when we get down to it I'm gonna bet food production companies played a big hand. The central valley if left in its natural state would still have several large cities but the landscape would look way different. I feel bad for the people who are from/live in these areas but the lakes gotta come back. More of the CV nneeds to be returned to its natural state.

[dustin183]

Originally Posted by DabOnEm

right. what were they thinking draining this like? when we get down to it I'm gonna bet food production companies played a big hand. The central valley if left in its natural state would still have several large cities but the landscape would look way different. I feel bad for the people who are from/live in these areas but the lakes gotta come back. More of the CV nneeds to be returned to its natural state.

I watched a video about the history of it.

Here it is, quite informative.

Says about around the 1850's is when the US govt gave CA all this swampland to turn into productive use.

Probably the mentality back then was that there was just tons and tons of cheap land everywhere and the govt was just looking to give it out and get it into productive uses. There was probably very little thought of conservation since at that time there was much more untouched land compared to today. And no concern of too much burning of hydro carbons and how it might impact the atmosphere. Just a different time.

[Social Democrat]

The flood threat isn't the only issue facing Corcoran - it's sinking as well!
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/u...a-sinking.html

[joosoon]

Originally Posted by DabOnEm

More of the CV nneeds to be returned to its natural state.

That depends on how you frame the meaning of "natural state".

[dustin183]

Why is Newsom not dealing with this. He's completely obsessed with what's going on in other states. He needs to focus on the many problems in his state. Filling the acquifers and the impending flooding and other stuff like the growing homeless crisis. Seems he's out there to prime himself for a potential presidential bid.

[SFX]

Until this year, I had no idea, none, zero, that California used to have lakes, wetlands, and all kind of wildlife, including vast amounts of freshwater fish. No wonder the Central Valley seems like a desert. They stole all the water, destroyed the eco system, and there is no chance the land and water barons will be forced to return any of it to the natural state, or at least more natural state before Europeans destroyed it.

[joosoon]

There's plenty of lakes and freshwater fishing. Ironically, a lot of them are contained in man-made reservoirs.
I don't automatically equate all human engineering with defiance of nature either. We're a part of the ecosystem like any other creature on Earth. We just know how to use tools.

[dustin183]

Originally Posted by joosoon

There's plenty of lakes and freshwater fishing. Ironically, a lot of them are contained in man-made reservoirs.
I don't automatically equate all human engineering with defiance of nature either. We're a part of the ecosystem like any other creature on Earth. We just know how to use tools.

Not all human engineering... but certainly some. More so in heavily forested states where they cut down these native forests to put up another Walmart. Happening all over the midwest.

Ideally, at this point in humanity, we should be smarter and take a holistic view of the country's geography and grow the population where it would have the least harm on nature. Look at a map of the US but remove the state lines and just focus on the geology and geography.

The midwest and south and northwest are very green (forested) and the middle and south/southwest is much less so due to less rainfall. Ideally humanity would grow where we have to cull the least forest area. Trees help us keep the atmospheric gases in good balance, so let's stop chopping them down to build walmarts.