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This story seems to almost be out of science fiction (or The Prisoner) but the pictures don't lie. The water people in Los Angeles are so desperate to save what water is left in some reservoirs that they are essentially putting a roof on it by filling the lakes with black plastic balls:
Facing a long-term water crisis, officials concerned with preserving a reservoir in Los Angeles hatched a plan: They would combat four years of drought with 96 million plastic balls.
On Monday, Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles arrived at the 175-acre Los Angeles Reservoir to release the final installment of the project: 20,000 small black orbs that would float atop the water. [...]
Mr. Garcetti said that the dark balls would help block sunlight and UV rays that promote algae growth, which would help keep the city's drinking water safe. Officials also said the balls would help slow the rate of evaporation, which drains the water supply of about 300 million gallons a year. The balls cost $0.36 each and are part of a $34.5 million initiative to protect the water supply.
This is an ingenious way of reducing evaporation. Perhaps the state's aqueduct system can also be filled with these balls to stop evaporation there.
HughPickens.com also submitted this article just minutes later!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @06:50AM
I almost feel bad for California. Not going to help to quell any of the conspiracy nuts about depopulation attempts though. Should probably try to sell it to Mexico for something at this point.
(Score: 3, Informative) by WillR on Thursday August 13 2015, @02:17PM
I almost feel bad for California.
Whenever you feel that coming on, remember that while they're trying to look like they're doing something by putting out more shade balls and making restaurant patrons ask twice for a glass of water, they're also still watering alfalfa fields and golf courses.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by aqui on Thursday August 13 2015, @02:57PM
( http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2009/world/infographic-ten-things-you-should-know-about-water/ [circleofblue.org] )
is there any reason to be surprised about this problem? BR> More than double the average European the question shouldn't be one of source conservation but one of "why do you use so much more water???" The savings potentials are real and huge. Hell many people in California didn't have water meters until recently...
Just a little bit of reading on wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_in_California [wikipedia.org] ) and elsewhere on the web makes clear its a big mess due to profiteering, neglect, recklessness and stupidity (e.g. growing grass in the desert) ...
Essentially for the available water in California current practices have never been "sustainable" ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability [wikipedia.org] ) and the drought has highlighted that.
Stupidity will be punished... and profiteering even more so.