California Drought Report Reveals Statewide Cost of $2.7 Bil, Loss of Jobs

A new study reveals that California's historic drought will cost the state $2.74 billion in 2015 and result in the loss of more than 21,000 jobs

The findings from the  University of California Davis Center for Watershed Sciences  also include:

• The drought in 2015  will result in a 8.7 million acre-foot reduction in surface water available to agriculture.
• This surface water loss  will be partially replaced by increasing groundwater pumping by 6 million acre-feet, at a cost of $590 million.
• The resulting net water shortage  of 2.7 million acre-feet will cause losses of $900 million in crop revenue and $350 million in dairy and other livestock value.
• Direct costs to agriculture  total $1.84 billion.
• The total statewide economic cost  of the 2014 drought is $2.74 billion, with a total loss of 21,000 seasonal and part-time jobs.

The study notes the state's heavy reliance on groundwater comes at ever-increasing energy costs and diminishes reserves for future droughts. “If a drought of this intensity persists beyond 2015, California’s agricultural production and employment will continue to erode” wrote Josué Medellín-Azuara, a co-author of the study.

Read the full report HERE

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