Climate Change Spells Trouble for Calif. Water
Rising sea levels and soaring temperatures caused by climate change could exacerbate California’s water shortage and increase stress on its most important natural resources, according to a federal report released Tuesday.
Climate change could raise average temperatures in the Sierra Nevada mountain range by more than 5 degrees by the late 21st century and sea water is likely to intrude further into California’s vital freshwater holding tank – the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – according to predictions by the Bureau of Reclamation. The study says global warming could cause a median sea level rise of 36 inches and flood the delta with salt water.