Colorado River water use cuts

[Morgana]

Yesterday was the deadline for states to agree on Colorado River water use cuts. They didn't. So now it's the feds' turn. There's supposed to be a news conference at 1 pm eastern time.

Seems like this could eventually affect everyone from nomads in Arizona to people who like to eat vegetables in New Hampshire. Hard to imagine how this gets solved without some kind of major changes.

No need to get all political or speculative, but since this could affect practical choices for some forum members (myself included), it's worth staying agile and aware. The times they are a'changin'!

CNN here
NPR here
Reuters here

 

[maki2]

the primary impact of water rationing for nomadic life will be for food prices raising them even higher than the jumps in the last 2 years. We already do water rationing behavior.

 

[INTJohn]

Water rationing Impact on "Nomads"? guess it depends on what ones definition of a nomad is.

no·mad
/ˈnōˌmad/

noun

1. a member of a people having no permanent abode, and who travel from place to place to find fresh pasture for their livestock.
   "the withering of their grasslands forced the nomads of the Sahara to descend into the Nile valley"

I'm kinda on the same page as definition above so by above definition of a nomad, impact should be negligible in and of itself wander to where there's water.
Same as if a "nomad" doesn't like the weather where said "nomad" is at:
Insert key, start engine, drive where there's weather to ones liking..........
Insert key, start engine, drive to where there's water to ones liking.........

Sayin......... nomad vagabon jon

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Water will be more expensive in places like Quartzite and may be more restricted.

 

[RvNaut]

Myself and the dog use 4 gallons a day on average, including showers, dishes and flushing. I will be setting up a system to reuse shower water for flushing to reduce use by 5-10 gallons over 3 weeks. ( this does not include laundry)

Compared to most other "households", I would guess the avg nomad uses way less than that, and I likely use more than that, but still way less than the avg person in the US.

Depending on the source, an avg American uses 80-100 gallons a day!

This is a "monkey with it's hand in the jar" issue. Those that need to give up, are very reluctant to do so, despite their own futures being in jeopardy.

 

[bullfrog]

States are just beginning to be held accountable for water usage. Much of the water in the west has been used to grow very thirsty crops with little concern about water conservation that get exported over seas. Water flows uphill towards money is just becoming apparent to many as the reporting spotlight get focused on the ways our water is used for profit and pleasure.

 

[user 22017]

States are just beginning to be held accountable for water usage. Much of the water in the west has been used to grow very thirsty crops with little concern about water conservation that get exported over seas.

Ag, bitcoin mining and data centers:

https://www.abc15.com/weather/impac...me-millions-of-gallons-of-arizona-water-daily
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/intern...ities-push-back-against-data-centers-n1271344
https://www.cnet.com/personal-finan...ctricity-it-takes-and-why-people-are-worried/

 

[Morgana]

If it affects the people around you, it's gonna eventually affect you too. (Also, presumably, if you care about the region, you care about the people in it, not just the ones who live the same way you do.)

And just because you've cut back some doesn't mean you'll be immune to the next round of belt-tightening, whatever it looks like.

When changes this big happen, there's no predicting where they will lead. It's just a good time to stay aware and informed and have a couple Plan B's up your sleeve. Hopefully you won't need them!

 

[Fueco]

We get most of our water from the Colorado River drainage. I expect that landscape usage will get restricted first. Lawns aren’t really necessary.

 

[wayne49]

"Water flows uphill towards money"

Good point.

All scarce resources flow toward money.

Don't hear much lately about communities selling their water supply to corporations that bottle the water in plastic, label it as fancy water, and sell it with a high markup.

Getting very expensive to insert key in ignition and move somewhere else just because the weather isn't exactly right.

 

[bullfrog]

Biggest problem is Colorado River water is still cheap and the use of it produces products that have a high profitability. As long as it doesn’t make financial sense to conserve it to the corporations using it we will continue to see the over use of it. Seems to me the problem is beginning to affect people’s lives and livelihoods and since their elected state politicians couldn’t solve the problem it has forced the federal government to step in and try. Guess we will see if corporate greed wins over common sense and the peoples needs. In my experience the money usually wins but we can hope.

 

[SLB_SA]

Look at the low water levels of the Rhine and Po rivers in Europe. Climate issues are arising all over the world.

 

[maki2]

You would not know there was a drought issue if you had been in Northern AZ last month and this month. The monsoon rains are in abundance most days causing all kinds of havoc.

But the Colorado River lack of water in summer is something that starts with lack of snow high in the Rockie Mountains. Water rationing that sometimes happens in the Seattle summers is also caused by lack of mountain snow in the winter.

There was snow on the mountains near Flagstaff todaybut it won't last. Plus lots of heavy rains in the afternoon at lower elevation and lots of lighting to watch this evening, fortunately for my camping group it was at a distance. At least the local reservoirs that provide drinking water to the towns of Williams and Flagstaff are benefitting. The wild flowers are blooming like crazy, the grass is tall and lush and is heavy with blooms and seeds. Mushroom are coming up under the pine trees.

 

[maki2]

Water will be more expensive in places like Quartzite and may be more restricted.

Water is already expensive in Quartzsite for local residences. The town regulations do not allow a car wash business to open. There are no living green grass lawns. There are no tree species that have large leaves.

 

[bullfrog]

^^^Just East a few miles off Interstate 10 there are huge cattle feed lots with tons of grasses and grains grown with Colorado River water being fed to them, does that make sense to anyone other than those making money from it?

 

[dhuff]

<snip>

No need to get all political or speculative, but since this could affect practical choices for some forum members (myself included), it's worth staying agile and aware. The times they are a'changin'!

CNN here
NPR here
Reuters here

Thanks for the reminder for folks not to get their political knickers in a twist . And also for linking to reputable news sources (I have a friend who works at Reuters).

 

[Frood]

Just an interesting bit of trivia but with all the rains and flooding in NV, AZ, etc... it raised the level of lake Mead by roughly 18 inches.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/local...-rise-likely-aided-by-monsoon-season-2623130/
Just goes to show that very little overall rainfall (ie roughly an inch or so) can cause tremendous flooding and it hits home just how much water lake Mead actually contains...

 

[NctryBen]

How bout the man made lakes like lake Las Vegas which takes billions of gallons. It’s basically created as a draw to new housing developments. And more being made. Yet they keep building and bringing in more people. It’s amazing to me how little water we can get by with just living this simpler life. I think the nomad community is setting a huge good example!

 

[maki2]

^^^ those man made lakes in developments are actually a required engineering feature designed to handle the runoff from heavy rains. When you cover the lands with pavement from streets, sidewalks, bike paths, parking lots, as well as patios and building foundations the ground can no longer absorb the heavy rain from monsoon season thunderstorms. So basically they are a 1 + 1 = the need for water retention ponds. Or when needed by the size of the developed area a lake. A nice looking water feature in a park is always a big selling point in developments.

So the developers are actually required to put them in as catchments. They are not being given a choice about it. The runoff would otherwise cause flooding issues. This catchment pond requirement for all types of developments is being done nationwide. Pretty much every big box store now has to put one in to handle runoff water. Of course farmers all over the world have taken advantage of using catchment ponds since humans started farming.

 

[Frood]

^^^ those man made lakes in developments are actually a required engineering feature designed to handle the runoff from heavy rains. When you cover the lands with pavement from streets, sidewalks, bike paths, parking lots, as well as patios and building foundations the ground can no longer absorb the heavy rain from monsoon season thunderstorms. So basically they are a 1 + 1 = the need for water retention ponds. Or when needed by the size of the developed area a lake. A nice looking water feature in a park is always a big selling point in developments.

So the developers are actually required to put them in as catchments. They are not being given a choice about it. The runoff would otherwise cause flooding issues. This catchment pond requirement for all types of developments is being done nationwide. Pretty much every big box store now has to put one in to handle runoff water. Of course farmers all over the world have taken advantage of using catchment ponds since humans started farming.

I know the ones you are talking about... I think Ben was referring to the vanity lakes that are kept full in wealthy neighborhoods... Lake Las Vegas is a perfect example. Vegas D-Tech did an interesting video on it. Apparently they are pumping water from Lake Mead to keep it full... Or buying ground water from another city. I think it was Henderson maybe? The retention ponds are usually almost empty most of the time until they need to do their job and hold overflow flood water, at least the ones I'm familiar with. We have TONS of retention ponds in my area since the entire area is pretty much a basin with no outlet.