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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Firefighting near Crater Lake closes park's north entrance ... California woman charged with assault, DUII after crash near Ashland injures children ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... Firefighting near Crater Lake closes park's north entrance ... California woman charged with assault, DUII after crash near Ashland injures children ... Barbershop-style singers help local schools ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: California looking west for fresh water Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News With California about to become a dust bowl, have you heard of any plans for them to start building sea water desalination plants? I know they are expensive but perhaps they could divert the $68 billion earmarked for light rail from Los Angeles to San Francisco on a crash program that forgot all the environmental red tape and started now. I am sure the hapless citizens of California would be happy to pay double their current water bills just to have some. With the longest shoreline in the U.S. on the largest body of water in the world, it seems like a no-brainer. Turn the job over to Elon Musk of Tesla Motors and SpaceX and let him go. With regard to Horace Greeley, "Look west, young man." — Tom   California is in fact turning to desalination of Pacific Ocean water to help meet its persistent water shortages. Construction is underway on a $1 billion desalination plant north of San Diego that will be the largest in the Western Hemisphere. It will provide 50 million gallons of drinking water a day for San Diego County when it opens in 2016, the San Jose Mercury News reports. More than a dozen desalination plants are proposed from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay, the newspaper says. They are not moving forward easily. It took several years for the San Diego area plant to secure various government permits and overcome lawsuits by environmentalists. Potential problems include the killing of fish pinned against ocean water intake screens. Plankton and other tiny organisms that pass through the screens die during water processing. Disposal of the highly concentrated leftover brine is another issue, according to the Oakland, Calif.-based Pacific Institute. Proper planning and engineering can help mitigate some of the environmental impacts. For example, drawing in water from beneath sand that acts as a natural filter can help protect sea life. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 16, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501