by Andrea Levin
Everything was parched and brittle. Once lush and green, yards turned brown and eventually gave way to swaths of dirt and swirling dust. As California entered its sixth year of drought, groundwater evaporated, reservoirs dried up, and water restrictions were implemented. For citizens, it meant not watering your lawn, except on pre-approved, designated days. We all did our part. We did what we could. If you saw someone wasting water, you spoke up.
The consequences of the drought were seen everywhere. Municipal fountains were turned off and public swimming pools were emptied. Trees were dying at an alarming rate. We still attempted to enjoy the great – albeit dry – outdoors. When my family and I went camping at Cachuma Lake Campgrounds, docks and piers were stuck, unmoving, in the mud.
My daughter and her friend walking across the bottom of Lake Cachuma.
And it was HOT: 2015 was the hottest year California had endured in 120 years of record-keeping. Dry brush and heat meant soon the wildfires would start. More than 3,800 fires scorched over 112,900 acres of land.
Finally, in 2016, a glimmer of hope. Meteorologists were predicting a fierce El Nino, a storm system that generally brings torrential rains. We hadn’t seen precipitation in months. Some kids had never even seen rain. If it did drizzle, it usually lasted a just minute. The children, excited to see “rain”, would run out of their houses and attempt to collect the paltry drops on their tongues. Our neighborhood hunkered down in anticipation of the storms. We reinforced our homes with sandbags and patched our roofs. Unfortunately, the downpour never arrived and the drought continued to mercilessly bear down on our state.
During the worst of it, we started to wonder what would happen if the rains never came. As a homeowner, I knew if the drought continued, we’d lose everything. After all, who would buy property in a dust bowl?
Eventually, our fears were put to rest. The rain did arrive, just later than expected, and in April of 2017, after days of record-setting rain, California was officially released from drought status. Throughout the ordeal, did our lives really change? For most of us, not really. During the 6-year ordeal we always had fresh water to drink, essential crops continued to grow (thanks to trucked-in water), and morning showers continued unabated, sending gallons of drinkable water down the drain.
California was able to easily overcome this historic drought. We are the lucky ones. In Niger, an ongoing drought has had a devastating effect on every facet of survival, from health to food production. And it has another cost we would never consider in California: Education. Instead of going to school, young girls are sent out daily to collect water to bring back to their village. The worse the drought, the farther they have to walk to find water, and the more school they miss.
There is hope, however. Despite the crushing drought, there are aquifers deep under the ground that offer an endless supply of clean, safe water, but reaching these aquifers is difficult, requiring skilled water engineers and heavy duty machinery. This is where Wells Bring Hope comes in. [Read about how we work.]
Thanks to our infrastructure and social supports, California’s drought was nothing more than an inconvenience to most residents. With your help, we can provide Nigeriens with the wells that they need to thrive despite the ongoing drought. Think you can’t make a difference? YOU CAN! Visit Wells Bring Hope and volunteer today!
