We turn the faucet and take for granted water will flow.
Drought reminds us water is limited.
Series Number 2.0
Length: 7 mins 45 secs
Languages: Subtitles available in English and Spanish. Press the CC button in the video player.
People in Massachusetts feel water rich, that there's an abundance of water and that there's no end to that resource. We have built our water systems under those assumptions.
Water in Massachusetts is as finite a resource as it is in California, Arizona, and other parts of the world where crippling droughts have made that fact clear. The limits of our water supply become more obvious as the population grows and weather patterns change. Now droughts are becoming more severe and frequent as heavy downpours replace regular, gentle rains, creating intensely dry spans in between rainfalls. This dries out the soil, making it harder for water to soak into the ground and replenish our aquifers. Instead, it runs off to the sea. In Massachusetts, we have made an effort to regulate water use, but, in a culture that undervalues water, the system has gone out of balance and needs to be rethought.
In this episode, Sam Woods of the North and South Rivers Watershed Association and Wayne Castonguay of Ipswich River Watershed Association discuss how drought is exposing the weaknesses in our water regulations and distribution systems. We focus on how drought and withdrawals have dramatically impacted the Ipswich River, now one of the most threatened rivers in the country.
Cutdowns
Drought & Regulations
Series Number: 2.01
Length: 1 min 25 secs
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“This beautifully filmed piece and clever title is a wake-up call. It would make a wonderful assignment for an individual or groups of individuals — watch the film, discuss, research water issues in their own communities, develop some suggestions and suggest how to implement them including problems they expect to face. ”
“I showed the When in Drought film with the students in our Youth Climate Leadership Program group at Durfee High School in Fall River last week, and they got a lot out of it! I think one of the most impactful aspects of the film was that it clearly shows the visual impacts of drought right here in Massachusetts. Our group is particularly passionate about climate impacts on animals and wildlife, and so I think the short clip of a fish struggling in the mud also hit home quite a bit. After we watched the film, we had a discussion about what solutions there are to drought in MA, and how we can take meaningful climate action. Your film served as a great conversation starter!”