I haven’t showered in a week, because I now realize how important the water is.

In order to understand the water resource in California, our AP Environmental Science class took a camping trip to Owens Lake and Mono Lake. People in Los Angeles mostly get their water from these two lakes. In order to use the water, the government created diversions in Owens River and other rivers that flow into the lakes. The diversions control how much water will flow into the lakes and how much water will flow to LA region. As the population in LA grow rapidly, the need of the water increase. As the result of this situation, less and less water will flow into the lakes.

When we stopped the water from flowing into the lakes, that changed the whole ecosystem in the lakes and around the lakes. The lakes begin to dry out, so the area of the lakes has decreased. The habitat for the wildlife has become smaller. Some of the wildlife are extinct or have to change their habitat. Moreover, tons of sand are blown in the air as the result of the dry lake bed, whichhas gradually become a desert.

I didn’t realize that blocking the water would create so many effects to the lakes until I visited the lakes in person. Most of the people in LA probably don’t realize that they have created such destruction to the natural environment. Even if we put the water back into the lakes, it would take a long time for those areas. So it is crucial for us to start to become concerned about these problems.