Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [41]
These days LA still gets about 50% of its water supply by aqueduct. The remainder is siphoned from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers via the California Aqueduct and the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct; only about 15% comes from groundwater.
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Water has always been a contentious issue. Global warming and droughts are threatening to decimate the Sierra Nevada snowpack, one of the major sources of water for the Southland. Because auto exhaust and industrial emissions contribute hugely to global warming, Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislature are working in cahoots – and flying in the face of the Bush government – to reduce emissions by 25% by 2020. Hybrid cars have become the new status symbol, with Californians now owning more than 20% of all low-emission vehicles in the nation. Even the Gov switched to a hydrogen-powered Hummer.
A massive consumer of energy, California has also established full-scale alternative energy projects. The deserts offer not only abundant sunshine, but much wind and tremendous geothermal heat. There are thousands of windmills at locations such as the San Gorgonio Pass, north of Palm Springs. And starting in 2011, the world’s largest solar farm is expected to supply energy for 21,000 homes from its Central Valley location near Fresno.
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Southern California Outdoors
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SWIMMING
SURFING
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
KAYAKING
SNORKELING & SCUBA DIVING
WHALE-WATCHING
CYCLING & MOUNTAIN BIKING
GOLF
SPAS
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Weather forecasters in Southern California probably have the easiest job in the world. ‘Today it’s… sunny and mild. Tomorrow will be… sunny and mild. And our extended forecast is…’ You get the picture. With its Mediterranean climate, SoCal is one of the great places to find yourself outdoors at any time of year. There are indeed changes with the seasons and in different regions but they are attenuated compared with other regions in the US. In what follows, we’ll let you in on the ideal times and locations to get out and about, pump those legs and lungs and take in the wonders of one of the world’s greatest natural playgrounds. The destination chapters have details about each of these activities.
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The outstanding California Coastal Access Guide (2003; www.ucpress.edu) has comprehensive maps and breakdowns to every public beach, reef, harbor, overlook and coastal campground in the state.
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SWIMMING
With miles and miles of wide, sandy beaches, you won’t find it hard to get wet and wild in Southern California. Ocean temperatures become tolerable by about May and peak in August and September. Big waves, treacherous riptides Click here and other aquatic occurrences do present dangers and it’s not uncommon for lifeguards to perform up to 50 rescues on busy days. If unsure, talk with them before hitting the water and obey their commands if they’re shouting instructions or waving their buoys at you from the shore. There are flags to distinguish between surfer-only sections, and sections for swimmers. After storms they put out flags for pollution warnings, and there are also flags displayed to indicate dangerous currents.
Family-friendly beaches with calm waters include Mothers Beach in Los Angeles, Carpinteria State Beach near Santa Barbara, Silver Strand State Beach in San Diego and West Beach in Santa Barbara. Another method to keep kids’ temperatures cool is by taking them to a water park, such as Hurricane Harbor north of Los Angeles or Knott’s Soak City USA in both Anaheim and Palm Springs. For our take on LA’s top 10 beaches, see the boxed text on Click here.
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George Freeth, the father of California surf culture, was also the state’s first lifeguard and earned a Congressional Medal of Honor for rescuing a boatload of stranded fishermen.
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