U.S. warns western states it may impose Colorado River water cuts

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - The U.S. government warned on Friday that it may impose water supply cuts on California, Arizona and Nevada to protect the Colorado River and its two main reservoirs from overuse, drought and climate change.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation unveiled three possible action plans: one to impose cutbacks, another to allow western states to work out a reduction plan on their own, or a third and least likely option of taking no action.

Besides protecting drinking water supplies, the proposed federal action might also preserve hydroelectric production at the country's two largest reservoirs.

The bureau, part of the Department of Interior, had previously set a mid-August deadline for seven western states to negotiate their own reductions or possibly face mandatory cutbacks.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/u-s-warns-western-states-it-may-impose-colorado-river-water-cuts/ar-AA13uJE5?cvid=56dfc540e46b4e7aab17e16f7e1eb2af

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Kari Lake's head just exploded.

[jimfields33]

1. Everybody's head should explode.

This is something that needs to be addressed. This is something they cannot wait and figure out down the line. It’s something that needs to be fixed ASAP. I think all three states need to do some serious desalinization. Yes it’s gonna be expensive but what choice do they have? in 10 years, they will have no choice and no water.

[NickB79]

7. The only long term solution is to stop desert farming

Because that's the main consumer of Western water.

Nothing else, not even desalination, will make a dent.

[Talitha]

10. Thanks for that info, I had no idea.

I'll look into 'desert farming' - TBH I never heard of it before.

[Xolodno]

12. It's old, but still revelant today.

The book Cadillac Desert pretty much said this was going to happen eventually.

https://www.amazon.com/Cadillac-Desert-American-Disappearing-Revised/dp/0140178244

[Evolve Dammit]

22. Hear hear

[NullTuples]

19. Golf courses & corporate lawns should've been closed two years ago.

Mandatory water restrictions for everyone, too.

But that's now how water works in the West.

We sorely need to rework laws that govern shared resources.

[bahboo]

2. tough times and tough choices ahead....

[republianmushroom]

3. Beware

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. When the water cutoff *finally* happens

People will be screaming and suing to get more water, yelling it's the Gov'ts fault.
They have heard warning after warning, and what's worse they have been taught that deadlines are not real, cause deadlines have been moved so often.

That's a recognizable reaction from past situations.. But now we are talking about
batshit crazy groups who put on a red hat SIX long years ago and they have been literally getting away with murder.
It's gonna be very loud, very ugly when the faucets go dry.

[LiberalFighter]

5. There is only one way to save those resources.

[roamer65]

6. Population reduction.

It’s now the only way to save some assemblance of a habitable planet.

[LiberalFighter]

9. The only way I see it.

Without water it makes it difficult to produce food too and however else it is used.

[The Grand Illuminist]

14. How would that commence?

nt

[Hugh_Lebowski]

16. Perhaps the easiest route? Convince women to not have babies ...

Especially one's they don't actually want to have.

Oh, wait.

Either we do this ourselves, hopefully in a conscientious way, or mother nature is going to do it for us, and I seriously doubt we'll much like the means she'll deploy.

[NullTuples]

20. A week ago, France said it's pulling out of the Paris accord. Nobody is meeting the limits.

The only one way to save the resources is to rein in capitalism with strict regulation.

Instead, we're going the other way, faster and faster.

[msongs]

8. 1st winter storm of yr heading into colorado river basin next week, thru so cal 1st nt

[Bayard]

11. The Central Valley in Calif produces about 1/4 of the country's food

But its basically a desert. It all has to be irrigated from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.

"About 20% of the Nation's groundwater demand is supplied from pumping Central Valley aquifers, making it the second-most-pumped aquifer system in the U.S. The Central Valley is one of the more notable structural depressions in the world."
https://ca.water.usgs.gov/projects/central-valley/about-central-valley.html

For some eye-opening reading, google the Boswell Company and the draining of Tulare Lake.

Water is no longer an ever-flowing resource. I think the days of cheap and plentiful food are numbered. And you will still have people denying climate change.

[Xolodno]

13. And I'm going to be in the Bakersfield area in a few days...

...at a family event...

wait for it

wait for it

wait for it

Surrounded by almond tree's. A water intense crop.

[hunter]

17. Nobody ever talks about the cows. They're sacred.

[Bayard]

18. That too

They did finally start regulating the lagoons that pollute ground water. Nasty.

[Ziggysmom]

15. Shut off the spigot to golf courses first. All waste and pollution plus the feed no one!

Our modern lawns need to go, too. Drought resistant plants like clovers are a better choice. People won't change until they are actually forced to change.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. While they're at it, they can deny Elon Musk's request

to dump over 140K gallons of treated wastewater into the Colorado River PER DAY at his new factory in Bastrop, TX.

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/bastrop/elon-musk-company-wants-to-dump-treated-wastewater-into-colorado-river-some-neighbors-arent-happy-about-it/