Are we facing the current drought in California or are we simply postponing the inevitable water shortage? Californians need to move quickly, because if scientists are right, the severity of the current drought is second only to that of the dust bowl. Some agencies were created to find possible outcomes of water shortage, the government was manipulated to discover solutions to the problem and to ask people to save water. This could be the start of California's many consecutive years of drought and last spring and summer were among the worst because they received the lowest amount of rain on record and California's reservoirs were so low they could not not help fill the water deficit. Californians must find a way to change current methods, equipment and engineering to better conserve water and, if possible, solve the problem of water scarcity. Evidence of drought is everywhere and affects large swaths of society. Streams, rivers, ponds and lakes dry up. Animals die of thirst and hunger, making them a burden for farmers. According to the New York Times, “a sense of dread is growing among farmers, many of whom have already left their fields unplanted. Without more water, an estimated 200,000 acres of prime agricultural land will remain uncultivated in Fresno County (New York Times, 1). » The article mentioned above implies that farmers accustomed to letting their cows graze on rain-fed grass will have to purchase hay or, in the case of some farmers, sell the majority of their livestock in order to continue paying their rent . Additionally, FoxNews.com states that “Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought emergency on January 17. Farmers recently learned... middle of paper ... drought is taking its toll on California and farmers aren't the only ones suffering the effects on California. economic systemWorks CitedFox News. "Obama draws attention to California drought." Fox News. FOX News Network, February 14, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014. Kostigen, Thomas. “Could California's drought last 200 years? National Geographic. National Geographic Society, February 13, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014.Nasser, Haya. "Water conservation is no joke in drought-stricken California | Al Jazeera America." Factual and in-depth news | Al Jazeera America. AlJazeera America, February 7, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014. Rice, Doyle. “Drought worsens in western United States.” USA TODAY: Latest news from around the world and the United States. USA TODAY, April 25, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014.WOLLAN, MALIA. “The New York Times.” The New York Times - Breaking news, world news and multimedia. The New York Times, January 17, 2014. Web. April 30. 2014.