Climate Change: Droughts More Severe in California?

By any measure, California's Governor, Jerry Brown, is one of the top climate change alarmists in the nation.  Recently, he has taken aim at Ted Cruz for being a climate denier by saying that he disqualifies himself for the presidency because of his contrary viewpoint on global warming. Brown has even gotten his Energy Commission on the bandwagon.  Their drought website claims that droughts are more severe than ever and now threaten California's water supply.

Well, I lived in Los Angeles in the 1950's and 1960's and the drought then was very severe.  So bad even, that one of the largest lakes in Southern California, Big Bear, looked like this:

Essentially, it was a mud puddle. All those white areas were formerly water.  I know because I was there to see it for myself. Today (actually August 2014), that same lake looks like this:

The fact is, that good water management has kept it from returning to its previous bleak condition. To say that the drought, today, is more severe is simply political bull. 

The real reason that a drought can be seen as more severe today, is population growth.  In 1950, California's total population was 10.6 million people.  Today, it is nearly 40 million (actually 38.3 million in 2013).  So, the rate of water usage is 4 times greater than in the 50's/60's. That's 4 times more people drinking, flushing, showering, and hot tubbing with whomever.

The fact is, that since the 1950's, the California legislature should have been preparing for the next drought instead of spending so much time banning plastic shopping bags and barring animals from mating in public within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship; or all the other crazy things California lawmakers have come up with in the land of fruits and nuts.  Maybe, then, they wouldn't now be scrambling to deal with a drought that isn't waiting at their doorsteps, but is already in the house.

References:

California Energy Commission: Water is a precious resource. A changing climate is resulting in droughts being more severe and pronounced and putting our water supply at risk: http://www.energy.ca.gov/drought/

Climate change threatens California and the world, Jerry Brown: http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-california-climate-change-20140519-story.html

Big Bear Lake History: http://www.bbmwd.com/lake-history/

U.S. Population by State, 1790 to 2013:  http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infoplease.com%2Fipa%2FA0004986.html&ei=xckRVdeuFIadgwSksIHYAw&usg=AFQjCNGgS0hWSQHuA8rvSGdJmvg7eCBV0Q&sig2=aLklwuIHjtrxVbPIQVEOfw&bvm=bv.89184060,d.eXY

Dumb Laws in California: http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/united-states/california

Stupid California Laws: http://www.idiotlaws.com/dumb_laws/california/