Uploaded on 2014-11-07 by ABermond

Water ![enter image description here][1] [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/1415340987915599.jpg Lake Cachuma is the primary water source for Santa Barbara. It is currently at about half of its designed capacity due to a drought in the Western United States. The flow of water from rainfall and streams has diminished, while development and landscaping cause the demand for water flows to increase. This puts unsustainable pressure on the stock of water in Lake Cachuma. This has led to a renewed water conservation effort, a moratorium on new development, and consequently, greater need for pumping in the sewer system as a result of implementation of low flow/no flow toilet fixtures. In the future, the use of potable water in toilets and landscaping will be eliminated and desalination as a water source will become more economically viable. The housing stock of our region is also of huge importance economically, socially, and politically. Santa Barbara is an expensive place to live. Consequently, many commuters "flow" into and out of the region daily from communities more than an hour's drive away. Their eagerness to move closer further increases the demand for housing. Meanwhile their flow puts daily stress on the transportation network, and they consume gasoline and emit carbon monoxide in a steady flow. In the future mass transit options will diversify commute methods/times, as will telecommuting. Also, densification of the urban area of Santa Barbara will likely help to regulate the upward trend in property values. Finally, Santa Barbara's economy is sustained by tourism. The stock of hotel rooms and the flow capacity of infrastructure dictate the availability of this economic resource. Recently the City of Santa Barbara has agreed to far more cruise ships visiting port to provide a new flow of tourists without a need for road or hotel construction. Like the commuter, the tourist benefits from a more diverse transportation network (air, rail, car, ship). However the number of hotel beds and their average nightly cost will deter greater numbers of tourists unless there is a sudden rise in the economy coupled with a targeted advertising campaign to encourage visitors to Santa Barbara. In the future, a more diverse transportation network will enable more stress free tourist trips, and normalization of vacation rental and house swapping solutions will regulate hotel room costs.