Water Drought Expected To Cause Food Price Increases

California cities and institutions have resorted to “exceptional measures” to deal with drought issues, and mandatory water restrictions have now become the norm in the state. While humans are certainly affected by the lack of water, some environmental experts are worried that the California area drought could also cause the extinction of several animal species.

Locally, water sources vary from community to community. In Santa Cruz, residents rely on rainfall and not imported water or mountain runoff to fill their taps. During the California drought residents are not allowed to fill swimming pools, hot tubs, and restaurants have been banned from serving water unless the guests specifically requests the clear liquid to drink with their meal.

On January 31 the California Water Resources Department said that the agency was not allocating any water from the Sacramento- San Joaquin River Delta to local water departments – for the first time in the history of the state. The snowpack in California is just 12 percent of the average for this time period. Rain and snowmelt fed the river delta, making it the largest single source of water for the 25.4 million acres of farmland and 38 million people in the state.

The record setting winter water drought in the West is cause for concern for not just locals, but could have a lasting impact on us all. The price of both beef and produce is expected to increase in the coming months, with the loss of a significant portion of livestock possible. Massive early winter storms in South Dakota last fall are also expected to prompt a spark in beef prices.

The Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District was built to supply water to 19 million people in Southern California. Customers have been asked to reduce their consumption by 20 percent. Unfortunately, when such warnings are issued, people panic and actually begin massive storing or hoarding of the vulnerable resource or item.

The ongoing ammo shortage is a prime example of the common reaction to a reduction of availability of an item. Ammunition is highly essential item for both self-defense and hunting for off the grid and prepper families – but water is a necessity for everyone.

Approximately two-thirds of California has been deemed in the midst of either a “severe” or “exceptional” drought. Nine percent of the state is now considered “exceptionally dry.” The California drought is the worst such event since 1977.

The California Bottling Company continues to experience a surge of orders for bottled water. A global beverage supplier customer has increased its order more than 30 percent, according to Bloomberg. The water bottle supplier was told by a government official that a worst case scenario for the company would be a drought surcharge being enacted on water purchased from municipalities for use in the bottling process. If such a fee did become a reality, the price for bottled water could increase, just as the price for propane has done during the ongoing shortage.

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