Danielle Harris Eyebrow, Brookfield Zoo Birthday Party, Fastest Submarine Pitcher, Articles W

So what are the solutions to the arid West's dilemma, as climate change heats up and California's State Water Project, along with Lake Mead and Lake Powell, shrivels due to reduced snowmelt and rainfall? The state is expected to lose 10% of its water over the next two decades, reports the . Viaderos team estimated that the sale of the water needed to fill the Colorado Rivers Lake Powell and Lake Mead the largest reservoirs in the country would cost more than $134 billion at a penny a gallon. Mulroy was the keynote speaker at the convention, held at Mandalay Bay, in Las Vegas, which is one of several that comprises the Chamber of Commerce's . A Mississippi pipeline to Lake Powell would need to cut across four states, he and Johnson said, including hundreds of miles of wetlands in Louisiana and west Texas. About 60% of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity. About 33% of vegetables and 66% of fruits and nuts are produced in California for consumption for the nation. Latitude 3853'06", Longitude 9010'51" NAD27. John Neely ofPalm Desert responded: "All of these river cities who refuse to give us their water can stop snowbirding to the desert to use our water. I have dystopian nightmares aboutpipelines marching across the landscape, saidglobal water scarcity expert Jay Famiglietti. California Gov. Pipelines usually consist of sections of pipe made of . While they didnt outright reject the concepts, the experts laid out multi-billion-dollar price tags, including ever-higher fuel and power costs to pump water up mountains or over other geographic obstacles. Then take it out of the southern tip of the aquifer in Southern Colorado. He said wastewater reuse by area agencies has already swelled from 0.20% in the 1980sto 12% of regional water supply. In northwestern Iowa, a river has repeatedly been pumped dry by a rural water utility that sells at least a quarter of the water outside the state. As apractical matter, Famiglietti, a Universityof Saskatchewan hydrology professor who tracks water basins worldwide via NASA satellite data, saidMississippi River states also experiencedry spells, and the watershed, the fourth largest in the world, also ebbs and flows. To the editor: I'd like to ask if the reader from Chatsworth calling for the construction of a water pipeline from the Mississippi River to Colorado River reservoirs has ever been to . It's the lowest level since the lake was filled in the. The memorial also suggests that the pipeline could be used as stormwater infrastructure to prevent regular flooding along the . No one wants to leave the western states without water, said Melissa Scanlan, a freshwater sciences professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Moreover, we need water in our dams for. The project would require more than 300 new dams,canals, pipelines, tunnels, and pumping stations. And contrary to Siefkes' claims, experts said, the silty river flows provide sediment critical to shore up the rapidly disappearing Louisiana coast andbarrier islands chewed to bits by hurricanes and sea rise. But, as water scarcity in the West gets more desperate, the hurdles could be overcome one day. Here are some facts to put perspective to severalof the opinions already expressed here: An aqueduct running from thelower Mississippi to the Colorado River (via the San Juan River tributary, at Farmington, New Mexico), with the same capacity as the California Aqueduct, would roughly double the flow of thelatter while taking merely 1-3% of the formers flow. If you dont have enough of it, go find more. The pipeline would provide the Colorado River basin with 600,000 acre-feet of water annually, which could serve roughly a million single-family homes. "My son will never know what a six-gallon toilet looks like," she said. This story is a product of theMississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University ofMissouri School of Journalismin partnership withReport For Americaand theSociety of Environmental Journalists, funded by the Walton Family Foundation. But moving water from one drought-impacted area to another is not a solution.. What states in the Southwest have failed to do is curtail growth and agriculture that is, of course, water-driven. The idea's been dismissed for as long as it's. Local hurdles include endangered species protections, wetlands protections, drinking water supply considerations and interstate shipping protections. Newsom said the state must capture 100 million metric tons of carbon each year by 2045 about a quarter of what the state now emits annually. All rights reserved. A Canadian entrepreneur's plan published in 1991 diverted water from eastern British Columbia to the Columbia River, then envisioned a 300-mile pipeline from the river through Oregon to a reservoir near Alturas, California. The Arizona Legislature wants the federal government to study the feasibility of constructing a pipeline . A multi-state compact already prohibits any sale of water from the Great Lakes unless all bordering states agree to it, and its almost certain that Mississippi River states would pass laws restricting water diversions, or file lawsuits against western states, if the project went forward. Those will require sacrifices, no doubt but not as many as building a giant pipeline would require, experts said. The memorial is seeking Mississippi River water as a solution to ongoing shortages on the Colorado River as water levels reach historic lows in the two largest reservoirs on the river, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Buying land to secure water rights would cost a chunk of cash, too, which leads to an even larger obstacle for such proposals: the legal and political hoops. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. and planned for completion in 2050, it willdivert 44.8 billion cubic metersof water annually to major cities and agricultural and industrial centers in the parchednorth. He frames the pipeline as a complement to water-saving policies. You couldbuild a pipeline from the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. Page Contact Information: Missouri Water Data Support Team Page Last Modified: 2023-03-04 08:46:14 EST . She said extensive public education, aided by federal mandates and financial incentives, eventually led toa wholesale transition that saves millions of gallons of water. The most obvious problem with this proposal is its mind-boggling cost. In any case, Utah rejected a permit for the project in 2020, saying it would jeopardize the states own water rights. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, prodded by members of Congressfrom western states, studied the massive proposal. Nonetheless, Siefkes trans-basin pipeline proposal went viral, receiving nearly half a million views. "Should we move the water to where the food is grown, or is it maybe time to think about moving the food production to the water?" Facebook, Follow us on CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Waves of torrential rainfall drenched California into the new year. Meanwhile, a rookie Democrat running for governor in Californias recall election last year proposed declaring a state of emergency in order to build a similar project. Were doing everything we can to minimize impacts, maximize benefits, and this project has a lot of benevolence associated with it. In his vision of the Wests future, urban growth will necessitate more big infrastructure projects like his. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. Water thieves abound in dry California. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. To Larsons knowledge, an in-depth feasibility study specifically on pumping Mississippi River water to the West hasnt been conducted yet. But, he said, the days of mega-pipelines in the U.S. are likely over due to lack of environmental and political will. . We can move water, and weve proven our desire to do it. Its easy to understand why politicians want to throw their weight behind similar present-day projects, Fort told Grist, but projects of this size just arent practical anymore. Asked about a Mississippi River pipeline or other new infrastructure to rescue the Colorado River, federal and state officials declined to respondor said there was no realistic chance such a major infrastructure project is in the offing. Drought looms over midterm elections in the arid West, From lab to market, bio-based products are gaining momentum, The hazards of gas stoves were flagged by the industry and hidden 50 years ago, How Alaskas coastal communities are racing against erosion, Construction begins on controversial lithium mine in Nevada. On Tuesday, the Scottsdale City Council agreed on a proposal to treat water and deliver it to the community for three years. But Denver officials have expressed skepticism,because Missouri or Mississippi water isof inferior quality to pure mountain water. The massive river, with tributaries from Montanato Ohio, is a national artery for shipping goodsout to sea. Well, kind of, Letters to the Editor: Shasta County dumps Dominion voting machines at its own peril, Editorial: Bay Area making climate change history by phasing out sales of gas furnaces and water heaters, Column: Mike Lindell is helping a California county dump voting machines. "We're going to start to see these reservoirs, which nine of them are already filled from the rain water, so then you add on snow melt and we may have some problems with that as far as flooding . Under the analyzed scenario, water would be conveyed to Colorados Front Range and areas of New Mexico to help fulfill water needs. The idea of a pipeline transecting the continent is not a new idea. Would itbe expensive? In the meantime, researchers encourage more feasible and sustainable options, including better water conservation, water recycling, and less agricultural reliance. Others said the costs of an Arizona-Mexico desalination plant would also likely prove infeasible. The agency is moving forward with smallerprojects across the state to reduce seismic and hydrologic risks, like eliminating leaks or seepage, including at four existing dams and related spillways in Riverside and Los Angeles counties. I find it interesting that households have to watch how much water theyare usingfor washing clothes, wateringlawns, washing cars,etc. Title: USGS Surface-Water Daily Data for the Nation URL: https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/dv? The water, more than 44 million gallons a day, would come from 115 wells drilled between 1,000 and 5,000 feet deep in Beryl-Enterprise, a basin where the state has restricted use of shallow groundwater due to over-extraction. The total projected cost of the plan in 1975 was $100 billion or nearly $570billion in today's dollars,comparable to theInterstate Highway System. Moreover, we need water in our dams for hydroelectric power as well as for drinking and irrigation, so we would power the Hoover, Glen Canyon and Parker dams. Doug Ducey signed legislation this past July that invested $1.2 billion to fund projects that conserve water and bring more into the state. Drought conditions plagued the region throughout 2022, prompting concerns over river navigation. You could do it.". Nevertheless, Million hasnt given up, and hes currently working to secure permitting for the fourth iteration of the project.