Latest Drought Proposal: California May Pump Water Uphill

California regulators are considering a plan to reverse the flow of the California Aqueduct as a way to alleviate the effects of the state's record-breaking drought. 

"Water has flowed from Northern California's snow-capped peaks to the south's parched cities ever since the California Aqueduct was built in the 1960s. Now, amid one of the worst droughts in history, state officials are considering an audacious plan to send some of the water back uphill," the Associated Press reported. 

Under this proposal, the state would pump water back upward in a potentially energy-intensive project that could cost from $1.5 million to nearly $10 million. 

A plan like this has never been tried before. "State water engineers say using pumps to reverse the flow of the aqueduct would be a first in a drought. It would also be a complex engineering challenge, requiring millions of dollars to defy gravity," the report said. 

Geoff Shaw, an engineer with the state, emphasized the unusual nature of the proposal. 

"There is no place on planet Earth where an aqueduct is designed to go backwards," he said to the AP. "But they have a need for water in a place where they can't fulfill it, and this is their plan to fix it."

Some water agencies save up more water than counterparts on higher ground. Kern County is one example. "To deliver banked water to farmers in the northern county, the water agency is contemplating an extreme measure: investing in diesel pumps to run the California Aqueduct in reverse for about 47 miles," National Geographic reported. 

Jim Beck, general manager of the Kern County Water Agency, framed these ideas as a backup plan. 

"We think it's an important tool in our toolbox, should we need it," he said to National Geographic. "We will continue full tilt to get this permitted and begin the installation." 

A vicious cycle is expected this summer: The drought will worsen as temperatures rise, and the lack of water will exacerbate the feel of the heat. "High temperatures are expected to increase Southern California's drought woes. The lack of moisture in the soil will make ...triple-digit heat wave feel even hotter," Southern California Public Radio reported. 

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