Drought in the West, page 1

Although the Western United States have been in an extended drought for years, only now, when conditions are approaching critical does this make the local newspaper. Perhaps a rude wake up call of muddy water out of our taps will wake people up to water consumption and conservation.

summitdaily.com
How bad could it get?
A 1996 study by researchers from seven universities examined worst-case scenarios, including a case study of a hypothetical 16-year drought.

By year nine, some state governments would have to declare a state of emergency to manage the resource for only the most essential uses.

And by year 11, the drought could become all but unmanageable, perhaps even leading to mass migrations out of the Colorado River Basin, the researchers reported.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

The economies that feed off these water sources are undeniably huge, but does that make it right? What was the thought process to develope in the desert? Greed, plain and simple it was cheap to build there. Why? Because deserts aren't the best place to live and work, what with no water. But that did not matter, nor did population density, there was no foresight or even common sense considerations by any of these desert plain residents. Now who will lose the water? Those that live at the source of these waterflows, those in Denver, or those downstream, downstate? California and other dry southwestern states will hide behind the bad science of 1929 water right laws.
If one builds a home next to a golf course, you'd expect it to get hit with golf balls, when you buy a house next to a freeway, you expect to hear traffic, so why is everyone suprised that when you live in a desert, there is no water.
Maybe in a couple of years I can actually afford a house in the Denver desert, goddamn frontrangers.

Related News Links:
summitdaily.com
www.texaswater.org
www.lanl.gov

[edit on 11-7-2004 by John bull 1]