Western States Megadrought intensifies - predictions for bad Fire Season and severe water shortages for Colorado (Denver: for sale, 2013)

[brightdoglover]

^^^
I think alfalfa is more water-necessary than oats.

[Mike from back east]

The use of AZ water to grow Alfalfa for dairy cattle in Saudi Arabia was the top article in today's WaPo.

Long story, lots of pictures. This link will get you past the paywall.

You may read the story and draw your own conclusions; mine remain as stated before, that we continue to be a colony of European and Arab nations who bleed us of our natural resources for their benefit while leaving us holding the bag and that our own elected politicians continue to sell out to monied interests.

[CosmicWizard]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

our own elected politicians continue to sell out to monied interests.

Time to stop voting for ALL candidates who receive $$$ from ANY corporate interest!

[Mike from back east]

Today's NY Times has a feature article on the over-pumping of our aquifers.

THIS LINK gets you in, past the paywall, so I'll only make a few excerpts here.

As with many articles in the Times, the graphics superbly illustrate the story.

America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow

Overuse is draining and damaging aquifers nationwide, a New York Times data investigation revealed.

A wealth of underground water helped create America, its vast cities and bountiful farmland. Now, Americans are squandering that inheritance.

The Times analyzed water levels reported at tens of thousands of sites, revealing a crisis that threatens American prosperity.

Nearly half the sites have declined significantly over the past 40 years as more water has been pumped out than nature can replenish.

In the past decade, four of every 10 sites hit all-time lows. And last year was the worst yet.

I wrote a comment for the article, here it is:

We've been overpumping the aquifers for decades.

I'm bummed, like so much else in America, Congress does nothing until we reach the emergency stage. Horse gone, close barn door.

In the America of my dreams, where we pro-actively plan for OUR future, the BLM or Army Corps of Engineers would have made plans 30 or more years ago to actually manage this vital resource.

But, Congress can barely spell w-a-t-e-r until one of their vested interest / financial backers starts to go broke, at which time WE are all broke by their profligate wasting of water.

A terrible example of our 'anything goes' policy is here in bone dry Arizona. We let Saudi Arabia pump huge amounts of water to pour onto many thousands of acres of Alfalfa that they harvest and ship home to feed their dairy cows.

I used to work for the Army and was in the planning business. Our formal processes had us look ahead from a few years out to 50 years out, then plan and budget accordingly. If we can do that for Defense, we can do it for water . . . and forests . . . and . . . We probably are past the point where we should be picking winners and losers.

[otowi]

When my mom worked for El Paso County, all development plans had to include proof of I think 30 years of water. But developers would find ways to skirt around things - loop holes, finding people to give them exceptions, etc.

[chiluvr1228]

Hasn't El Paso county had more rain than usual in the last few months?

[otowi]

Originally Posted by chiluvr1228

Hasn't El Paso county had more rain than usual in the last few months?

Yes, but that means nothing for long-term water supply.

[chiluvr1228]

I will be moving to that area in the next few months from Florida where we have a different set of water issues.

[Vision67]

Are seafloor desalination pods the answer to California’s drought woes?

https://www.latimes.com/environment/...wer-to-drought

"“Basically the weight of the ocean helps drive the reverse-osmosis process,” said Kalyn Simon, OceanWell’s director of engagement. “By taking the [reverse-osmosis] process to a place in nature where that pressure naturally exists, we don’t have to create an artificial pressure gauge on land, as we traditionally do in desalination.”

The depth is known as the aphotic zone — a part of the ocean where there is little-to-no sunlight, and where there is less marine life than layers above, she said. Such depths are typically found between three and seven miles off the coast of California, depending on location, which means the project would run through state and federal waters.

The process also produces no brine, Simon said.

Land-based facilities try to squeeze out as much freshwater as possible to help balance high energy costs, with typical targets of 50% freshwater and 50% brine from every gallon processed. But because OceanWell uses “free” pressure from the ocean, it can operate at a lower recovery rate of 10% to 15%, producing a much less salty byproduct that can be dissolved back into ambient conditions within seconds, she said."


This sounds like a great idea.

[Mike from back east]

Finally some common sense. Here in AZ today, Governor Hobbs declined to renew 1 of 4 leases the Saudi firm, Fondomonte, uses to lease land at $25/acre -- which includes free water -- enough water for a city of 50,000 people. The other three leases will not be renewed when they expire in March 2024.