Letters to the Editor: Tulare Lake is reappearing in the Central Valley. Let's try to keep it there

Los Angeles Times Opinion
·2 min read
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LEMOORE, CALIF. - MAR. 21, 2023. A mailbox stands in the floodwaters that have innundated farms near the community of Stratford. Recent heavy rains and snowmelt from surrounding mountains have swollen the rivers that flow into the vast and fertile San Joaquin Valley. Tulare Lake, a ghost lake that was drained more than 100 years ago, is slowly filling up and more flooding is expected with greater spring snowmelt. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
A mailbox stands in floodwaters near Corcoran, Calif. Tulare Lake, which was drained nearly a century ago, is reappearing on thousands of acres of farmland. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: For more than a century Californians have been trying to control water. Not surprisingly we have failed, for we still have too much water and not enough water. Perhaps we should direct our efforts toward living in harmony with nature instead of trying to subdue it. ("Worry and suspicion reign as once-dry Tulare Lake drowns California farmland," March 24)

Let's put our engineers to work restoring Tulare Lake, Owens Lake, Buena Vista Lake, the Salton Sink and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Yes, this will reduce the amount of farmland and water going to our metropolitan areas, but there is no cause for panic.

Large water tanks next to homes to capture rainwater are common in Australia, so why not require them here? Expedite water recycling. It’s safe. Mandate replacing water-hungry landscaping with vegetation native to our region.

Wetlands are essential for life. Why drain them for crops that can be grown elsewhere? There will always be farming in the Central and Imperial valleys, but we need to reduce it to a level that meets but does not exceed our needs and capacity.

We preach good stewardship. Let's practice it.

Daniel Connell, Moorpark

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To the editor: With the reemergence of Tulare Lake, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to recapture and rebuild a critical water habitat and natural resource in California.

The draining of the lake for cotton farming and other water-intensive crops was an environmental blunder that has killed millions of birds and destroyed an entire ecosystem. The lake once supported biodiversity and played a critical role in entire water system for the state.

The ongoing depletion of Central Valley's water table from over pumping and poor water management began with the draining of the lake. Restoring large parts of it would solve a multitude of environmental issues, including toxic dust and ground water depletion. It would also create countless opportunities for tourism and recreation.

The giant corporate farms in the Tulare Lake basin have left a trail of destruction because of their greed. Bring back the lake!

Donald Flaherty Fajardo, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.