Rice, D. (2015, February 12). Megadrought may plague parts of USA. Retrieved March 1, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2015/02/12/western-plains-drought-climate-change/23298093/

According to expert climate scientists, the severe drought we are experiencing currently in California is foreshadowing dire circumstances yet to come. Using 17 different computer models analyzing hundreds of years of rainfall data, scientists have determined that the entire southwestern United States, including California, will fall into a persistent “megadrought” from 2050 to 2100. A megadrought is unlike a normal drought in that it last for decades, has severe effects on organisms present, and is usually unnatural and caused by some external factor.

In this case, I think that the external factor of anthropogenic contribution to climate change is what is driving the trend that experts believe will result in this terrifying megadrought. Unfortunately, most people cannot foresee the consequences such an epidemic would cause. We would receive next to no rainfall and zero snowfall resulting in a nonexistent snowpack and bone dry lakes, streams, and reservoirs. We would have to delve deeper and deeper into our water table and after decades of megadrought be stuck with highly contaminated water coming from our pumps that would need to be extensively purified to remove deep earth salts and heavy metals.