Glass Half Full: 13 Ways California's Historic Drought Is Totally Awesome
(CBS SF) -- The worst drought to hit California since the Middle Ages is already making indoor plumbing irrelevant in several Central Valley towns that exhausted their entire water supplies. Others are running low and rationing the precious resource.
Despite the brown lawns and dire climate predictions, there's always a silver lining to the non-existent rain cloud. Here's why the glass is literally half-full:
#13: FEWER ALLERGIES
Who needs all that pollen anyway?
#12: LAKE TAHOE CLARITY
No rain and no snow means no runoff. Lake Tahoe is getting clearer, and it was already pristine to begin with. Go rent a clear kayak and enjoy amazing views clear to the bottom.
#11: EXPLORE NEW HISTORIC TREASURES
Sure mighty lakes are now puddles, but now we get to explore what was there before the massive dams were built during the public works programs. Historic train tunnels, and Gold Rush era towns like Mormon Island (formerly) under Folsom Lake are prime tourist destinations. This news has even gone global, when the UK's Daily Mail reported it.
#10: LET'S BE HONEST, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONSERVING WATER LIKE THIS YEARS AGO
Seriously, once we survive this drought, California's water future will have never been better! With all the water projects in the works, thousands of lawns being ripped out, and mandatory low-flow toilets being the law, there will now be more water to waste on other things, like washing down your driveway in Beverly Hills.
Right now, Beverly Hills does not ticket water wasters. Residents have only been asked to turn off decorative fountains and stop hosing down driveways "voluntarily," measures that don't get them close to the new state-wide mandate of a 25-percent reduction.
#9: IT'S A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO PAN FOR GOLD!
Low river levels have exposed areas to gold diggers (the mineral kind, not the Kanye West kind), meaning more flecks and nuggets exposed to eager miners.
#8: BIGGER BEACHES
All those lakeside picnics used to be surrounded by bushes, poison oak and brush, but look at all this beachfront real estate now. Perfect for a game of football, or landing a 747.
#7: DIRT SKIING
With no snow in the Sierra, it's a perfect opportunity to try dirt skiing!
#6: NO LAWNS MEAN HUGE BUSINESS FOR ARTIFICIAL TURF AND A NEW INDUSTRY OF "GRASS PAINTERS"
#5: COWS WIN, SORT OF
All that water being used to help produce that steak on your table adds up, and vegetarians are using the drought to discourage meat eaters. Did you know how much water your meal actually uses? We put together this chart.
#4: WE'RE FLUSH WITH INNOVATION:
Don't you wish you'd thought of the toilet tank sink?
#3: SUCCULENT GARDENING IS FUN AND CHALLENGING
Why not start a new hobby, and plant succulents, cacti, and native plants?
Watch out for thieves, though.
#2: GOOD TIME TO CATCH UP ON ROOF REPAIRS AND PAINTING
#1: INVITING SOMEONE TO SHARE YOUR SHOWER IS NOW YOUR CIVIC DUTY
Just ummmm... turn the water off if you get "distracted."
