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The Southwest’s Unchecked Thirst for Colorado River Water Could Prove Devastating Upstream
June 20th, 2022
Via CNN, an article on how the Southwest’s unchecked thirst for Colorado River water could prove devastating upstream: Among those who love to chase trout with flies made of feathers, just the mention of a certain seven-mile stretch of Utah’s Green River can turn a hardened man rhapsodic. “I’ve guided in New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, […]
Read more »Drought’s Spillover Effect In U.S. West
June 17th, 2022
Courtesy of Circle of Blue, an article on how – in a region latticed with pipelines and canals – the consequences of dry conditions in one basin are exported to neighboring watersheds: The American West has been plumbed into a series of “mega-watersheds.” Because basins are connected by pipelines and canals, drought in one region […]
Read more »Colorado River Nears ‘Moment Of Reckoning’
June 15th, 2022
Via the Los Angeles Times, an article on major water cutbacks looming as a shrinking Colorado River nears its ‘moment of reckoning’: As the West endures another year of unrelenting drought worsened by climate change, the Colorado River’s reservoirs have declined so low that major water cuts will be necessary next year to reduce risks of […]
Read more »Water Cuts Coming For U.S. West
June 11th, 2022
Via Pew Charitable Trust, a look at the impact of drought in the U.S. west: If Californians don’t change the way they consume water, officials are warning, sweeping, statewide mandatory cuts may be unavoidable. Three years into a severe drought and with water supplies plummeting, lush green lawns and the careless use of drinking water […]
Read more »What Happens If Glen Canyon Dam’s Power Shuts Off?
June 7th, 2022
Courtesy of Circle of Blue, commentary on the impact of Lake Powell drying behind one of the Southwest’s largest hydropower plants: Glen Canyon Dam is operating at 60 percent of its hydroelectric capacity. Hydropower generation will likely shut down when Lake Powell’s elevation drops below 3,490 feet. Currently the lake is at 3,534 feet. Besides the […]
Read more »As California’s Big Cities Fail To Rein In Water Use, Rural Communities Are Already Tapped Out
June 6th, 2022
Via CNN, an article on how – as California’s big cities fail to rein in their water use – rural communities are already tapped out: Gary Briggs’ family hasn’t had water coming out of their private well for over a decade, after a multi-year drought and overpumping by agriculture and industry. Now, the eight-acre farm in West […]
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