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Archive for the ‘Colorado River’ Category

Amid Historic Drought, California Approves $140M Desalination Plant

Via Reuters, a report on a new desalination plant which is part of California’s effort to battle drought: California regulators unanimously approved a $140 million desalination plant on Thursday, offering a guideline for how the state can convert ocean water into drinking water amid the worst drought in 1,200 years. Just five months ago, the […]

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World’s Rivers are Running Dry Today

Via China Water Risk, commentary on the challenges facing many of the world’s most important rivers: Indus faced mega flood while Yangtze, Colorado, Rhine & Po suffered droughts, running dry in sections. Power (down 50% in some regions), factories & transportation disrupted Crops were destroyed but rivers also support chunks of GDP: YREB (US$5.3trn), Colorado […]

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What If Farmers Competed With One Another To Cut Colorado River Water Consumption?

Via The High Country News, commentary on the potential if farmers competed with one another to cut water consumption on the Colorado River: It’s now clear that the Colorado River simply does not deliver as much water as we take from it. Fast, dramatic cuts — totaling up to 30% of all the water currently in use […]

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USG Paying Farmers and First Nations To Conserve Water

Via Arizona Central, an article on U.S. government efforts to pay users to leave water in Lake Mead: The Gila River Indian Community is the first Arizona water rights holder to publicly pursue the federal government’s new offer of compensation to leave Colorado River water in Lake Mead. Tribal Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis announced the […]

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U.S. Southwest Water Problem About ‘People and Politics’

Via Grand Junction Sentinel, commentary on the relationship between water and politics: The most important long-term issue for Colorado today is the same as it was 120 years ago… water. In 2010, Smithsonian Magazine published an article titled, “The Colorado River Runs Dry.” The article included a quotation from Brad Udall of Colorado State University, […]

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Will Drought Put U.S. Alfalfa Farmers Out Of Business?

Via The Guardian, an article on how agriculture – mainly alfalfa – consumes 80% of the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply, prompting calls for conservation: On an early August morning in California’s Imperial Valley, tractors rumble across verdant fields of alfalfa, mowing down the tall grass and leaving it to dry in shaggy heaps under […]

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