Causes of Drought in Southeastern United States
Local and Man Made Changes Could Be Affecting Southeast Climate
Forecasters and locals spend their time worrying about the rain, and when it will come, but is the real reason lakes and wells are drying up a lack of this season's rain? No doubt it has an effect, but could the current global climate change be a reason? Why has this year's hurricane season been so mild for the Southeast? Could over-development in the area be partly responsible?
The Army Corp of Engineers, the same guys who say New Orleans is safe when little to nothing has been done to protect it from another category 4 or 5 hurricane, says Northern Georgia has a 280 day supply of water. Strange then that the environmental director of Georgia says it's only 80 days. Georgia, Alabama, Florida and the Carolinas are all starting to fight over their water supplies. (Copeland, 2007)
Bush's tri-state water deal that decreases the river flow from the Atlanta area by 16% has not made Governors in Florida and Alabama happy. They depend on the water for their citizens. The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center estimates that the drought in this area will persist.
Where can folks in the Southeast get fresh water? "In 1950, under a congressional mandate, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began draining the Everglades through a series of levees and canals. Much of the drained water was-and still is-dumped into the ocean." (Smith, 2000) The Army Corps of Engineers, the same agency responsible for draining Lake Lanier, should look no further than themselves. Instead of continuing to allow the fresh water from the Everglades to dump into the Gulf of Mexico, why not divert or catch some for the folks just north suffering severe drought?
The USGS South Florida Information Access Circular 1275 states that the drainage system constructed between 1910 and 1928 mostly failed to transport flood flows, however, and exacerbated periods of low rainfall and drought by over draining the surficial aquifer system. This clearly illustrates that our destruction of natural resources in the area does have an effect on rainfall. Could there be global climate changes effecting the area as well?
If one listens to Oklahoma Senator Inhofe about global climate change the answer would be no. Actual scientists who study such phenomenon say different, however. See http://www.socyberty.com/Issues/Global-Warming-and-Senator-Inhofe.54166.
Add to that the fact that droughts can be caused by more than simply a lack of rainfall. Evaporation occurring from higher temperatures can influence drought. Transpiration from plants draws moisture from soils. All these are affected by sunlight, wind, and humidity levels. Global climate changes as well as local man made changes, could definitely be affecting the area.
Resources
Copeland, L. (2007). Drought Anxiety Rises as Water Levels Fall. Retrieved on November 2, 2007 from http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2007-11-01-drought-anxiety_N.htm
Smith, D. (2000). Reclaiming the Florida Everglades. Retrieved on November 2, 2007 from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2000/12/1213_everglades.html
Published by Greg Royer
Greg Royer has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. After years in sales he left Los Angeles to start an organic farm in New Mexico. He lives with his wife and three children and writes novels and... View profile
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5 Comments
Post a CommentHere's a good article by Cornelia Dean in the NY Times. Basically says the drought was more man-made than an aspect of global warming.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/science/earth/02drought.html?_r=1&ref=science
i will have to disagree with derek with one thing. Draining the river might help us people, but it can affect other living things like plants and animals. If officials drain that river, it can cause massiver destruction. For example if the rainbow fish dies, where will the fish that eats the rainbow fish get food. Eventually that fish will die too and that can cause a chain. The drought is affecting all living thins, not just humans. Also taking the water from the glaciers to drink from isn't a good idea either. What if that water is saltwater then we would have wrecked the ecosystem? The smallest thing can create the biggest chain.
Derek, I do agree with you on almost everything. Only the power and money hungry corps do stupid stuff like draining the everglades. (and cultural movements of grand sizes.) South America has an even larger system we're now destroying. We need to figure out how to stop such actions and yes, do some restoring. I don't like the dam idea, it comes with a bunch of it's own bad stuff. I do like the idea of getting water from melting ice, but that would still be temporary. We're in big trouble with that ice melting up there. I always struggle with why we humans can't strike a decent balance. We need some knowledge from history and older cultures that have leaned these things. And we need to act on such knowledge. Corporations must be controlled.
d fish ladders for spawning then so be it. but draining the water from the everglades to build houses and farm is a bad idea.
we need to restore the everglades, draining it is completely stupid. if you disagree with me you dont know your stuff. why are the aquifers drying up? because we are draining the everglades... they feed into the aquifers. also the lack of rain and other factors. population is a big factor as well, when everyone waste water, uses gallons to brush their teeth, turn the shower on high and sit in there for an hour, water the street not their lawn, and in the middle of the day, not at night like you should. did you know watering in the middle of the day waste more then 50% of what you put down because it all evaporates. for now, we should set up more desalination plants. the glaciers are melting adding more fresh water to the oceans, so lets take it out. there are also rivers that run directly into the ocean, fresh water into salt. im pretty sure salt water fish dont need to travel up a fresh water river for any reason. if i am wrong then i am wrong. but why not damn the rivers? if they nee