And_CJC not_XX0 even_AV0 with_PRP Lake_NP0 Mead_NP0 (_PUL the_AT0 source_NN1 of_PRF much_DT0 of_PRF Southern_AJ0 California_NP0 's_POS water_NN1 )_PUR at_PRP its_DPS lowest_AJS level_NN1 since_PRP Hoover_NP0 Dam_NP0 was_VBD dedicated_VVN in_PRP 1935._CRD This_DT0 is_VBZ an_AT0 old_AJ0 line_NN1 :_PUN Droughts_NN2 are_VBB fake_AJ0 ,_PUN water_NN1 shortages_NN2 are_VBB human_AJ0 inventions_NN2 ._SENT President_NP0 Trump_NP0 did_VDD n't_XX0 invent_VVI this_DT0 viewpoint_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC it_PNP was_VBD a_AT0 natural_AJ0 for_PRP him_PNP and_CJC he_PNP famously_AV0 ran_VVD with_PRP it_PNP in_PRP 2016_CRD during_PRP his_DPS campaign_NN1 because_CJS it_PNP was_VBD embraced_VVN by_PRP the_AT0 Central_AJ0 Valley_NN1 counties_NN2 economically_AV0 dominated_VVN by_PRP agriculture_NN1 ._SENT Broken_VVN down_AVP into_PRP its_DPS components_NN2 ,_PUN the_AT0 argument_NN1 includes_VVZ the_AT0 assertion_NN1 that_CJT after_PRP the_AT0 construction_NN1 of_PRF New_NP0 Melones_NP0 Dam_NN1 on_PRP the_AT0 Stanislaus_NP0 River_NP0 in_PRP the_AT0 late_AJ0 1970s_CRD ,_PUN California_NP0 lost_VVD its_DPS mojo_NN1 and_CJC never_AV0 again_AV0 built_VVN a_AT0 new_AJ0 dam_NN1 to_TO0 keep_VVI up_AVP with_PRP the_AT0 growing_AJ0 population_NN1 and_CJC its_DPS needs_NN2 ._SENT Perennial_AJ0 candidate_NN1 John_NP0 Cox_NP0 ,_PUN in_PRP particular_AJ0 ,_PUN advances_VVZ this_DT0 claim_NN1 ._SENT This_DT0 urban_AJ0 myth_NN1 is_VBZ undermined_VVN with_PRP every_AT0 drink_NN1 of_PRF water_NN1 taken_VVN in_PRP L.A._NP0 or_CJC much_DT0 of_PRF the_AT0 rest_NN1 of_PRF Southern_AJ0 California_NP0 ._SENT Before_PRP coming_VVG out_AVP of_PRF our_DPS taps_NN2 ,_PUN much_DT0 of_PRF our_DPS water_NN1 was_VBD stored_VVN in_PRP Diamond_NN1 Valley_NP0 Lake_NP0 ,_PUN a_AT0 reservoir_NN1 near_PRP Hemet_NP0 completed_VVD in_PRP 2003._CRD Many_DT0 Bay_NN1 Area_NN1 residents_NN2 similarly_AV0 drink_VVB (_PUL and_CJC farm_NN1 fields_NN2 irrigate_VVB )_PUR from_PRP Los_NP0 Vaqueros_NP0 reservoir_NN1 ,_PUN halfway_AV0 between_PRP Walnut_NP0 Creek_NP0 and_CJC Tracy_NP0 ,_PUN completed_VVN in_PRP 1998_CRD and_CJC on_PRP the_AT0 drawing_NN1 board_NN1 for_PRP a_AT0 major_AJ0 expansion_NN1 ._SENT We_PNP have_VHB indeed_AV0 kept_VVN building_NN1 water_NN1 projects_NN2 ,_PUN mostly_AV0 for_PRP people_NN0 ,_PUN as_CJS opposed_VVN to_PRP cows_NN2 and_CJC almond_NN1 trees_NN2 ._SENT Newer_AJC projects_NN2 should_VM0 be_VBI ,_PUN and_CJC generally_AV0 are_VBB ,_PUN judged_VVN by_PRP how_AVQ much_DT0 water_NN1 they_PNP will_VM0 yield_VVI ,_PUN and_CJC for_PRP whom_PNQ ._SENT Given_VVN the_AT0 state_NN1 's_POS hydrology_NN1 and_CJC the_AT0 simple_AJ0 facts_NN2 about_PRP where_AVQ water_NN1 is_VBZ and_CJC is_VBZ n't_XX0 ,_PUN that_CJT means_NN0 more_AV0 spreading_VVG grounds_NN2 and_CJC restored_AJ0 flood_NN1 plains_NN2 to_TO0 allow_VVI stormwater_AJC runoff_NN1 in_PRP flood_NN1 years_NN2 to_TO0 recharge_VVI groundwater_NN1 ,_PUN which_DTQ has_VHZ been_VBN over-pumped_VVN by_PRP agricultural_AJ0 interests_NN2 ._SENT It_PNP means_VVZ reclaiming_VVG and_CJC purifying_VVG more_DT0 water_NN1 from_PRP urban_AJ0 storm_NN1 runoff_NN1 and_CJC waste_NN1 ._SENT Lake_NP0 Mead_NP0 will_VM0 not_XX0 be_VBI full_AJ0 again_AV0 in_PRP our_DPS lifetimes_NN2 ,_PUN because_CJS after_PRP prolonged_AJ0 drought_NN1 and_CJC diversions_NN2 for_PRP human_AJ0 needs_NN2 ,_PUN there_EX0 is_VBZ simply_AV0 not_XX0 enough_AV0 flowing_AJ0 water_NN1 to_TO0 fill_VVI it_PNP ._SENT Responding_VVG to_PRP a_AT0 water_NN1 shortage_NN1 by_PRP building_VVG more_DT0 empty_AJ0 dams_NN2 is_VBZ kind_NN1 of_PRF like_AV0 responding_VVG to_PRP a_AT0 money_NN1 shortage_NN1 by_PRP building_VVG more_DT0 empty_AJ0 banks_NN2 ._SENT Lack_NN1 of_PRF supply_NN1 and_CJC lack_NN1 of_PRF storage_NN1 are_VBB not_XX0 the_AT0 same_DT0 thing_NN1 ._SENT And_CJC desalination_NN1 ?_SENT Sure_AJ0 ,_PUN of_PRF course_NN1 —_PUN where_AVQ projects_NN2 make_VVB sense_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC where_AVQ ratepayers_NN2 reap_VVB the_AT0 benefits_NN2 ._SENT Many_DT0 desalination_NN1 projects_NN2 are_VBB hampered_VVN not_XX0 by_PRP any_DT0 lack_NN1 of_PRF engineering_NN1 or_CJC willpower_NN1 mojo_NN1 ,_PUN but_CJC by_PRP the_AT0 intense_AJ0 energy_NN1 demands_NN2 and_CJC costs_NN2 ,_PUN and_CJC by_PRP financial_AJ0 shenanigans_NN2 that_CJT put_VVB ratepayers_NN2 on_PRP the_AT0 hook_NN1 for_PRP water_NN1 they_PNP do_VDB n't_XX0 need_VVI or_CJC want_VVI ._SENT 
