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Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

latimes.com

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Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#3
From a 2020 paper:

> Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to ameliorate them. We find irrigation of cattle-feed crops to be the greatest consumer of river water in the western United States, implicating beef and dairy consumption as the leading driver of water shortages and fish imperilment in the region. We assess opportunities for alleviating water scarcity by reducing cattle-feed production, finding that temporary, rotational fallowing of irrigated feed crops can markedly reduce water shortage risks and improve ecological sustainability. Long-term water security and river ecosystem health will ultimately require Americans to consume less beef that depends on irrigated feed crops.

* https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0483-z https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-020-0483-z

* PDF: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/323061602.pdf

> Irrigation of cattle feed crops is the single largest consumptive user at both regional and national scales, accounting for 23 percent of all water consumption nationally, 32 percent in the Western U.S. and 55 percent in the Colorado River basin.

* https://www.udel.edu/udaily/2020/march/beef-dairy-consumptio...

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#4

From a 2020 paper: > Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to…

Thank you. Incredible that 'cattle' isn't even mentioned once in the newspaper article.

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#5
The article is coverage of the Colorado River Water Users Association 2022 Conference in Las Vegas: https://www.crwua.org/annual-conference-2022.html

Edit: Their 2022 Resolutions are interesting (PDF): https://www.crwua.org/assets/downloads/resolutions/2022-reso...

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#6

From a 2020 paper: > Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to…

Watch 2-3 episodes of 'How it's Made' and you can see how much water use is industrial.

Add the industrial and cattle together and one can quickly see that it's not humans that are consuming the vast majority of potable water, but companies and industry that are depleting what's available for the rest of us.

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#7

From a 2020 paper: > Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to…

> irrigated feed crops

Simple solution - those who believe that is the problem can offer to buy the water rights and then let the water flow.

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#8

From a 2020 paper: > Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to…

Watch 2-3 episodes of 'How it's Made' and you can see how much water use is industrial. Add the industrial and cattle together and one can quickly see that it's not humans that are consuming the vast majority of potable water, but companies and industry that are depleting what's available for the rest of us.

> it's not humans that are consuming the vast majority of potable water, but companies and industry that are depleting what's available for the rest of us.

companies only make what they can sell. The sell what consumers want. So it is humans. Humans want meat. If they stop wanting meat companies will stop making meat.

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#9

From a 2020 paper: > Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to…

Watch 2-3 episodes of 'How it's Made' and you can see how much water use is industrial. Add the industrial and cattle together and one can quickly see that it's not humans that are consuming the vast majority of potable water, but companies and industry that are depleting what's available for the rest of us.

Just because some people may not grasp this: it is still individual humans consuming the water. Companies and industry don’t burn resources for no reason, they become products that consumers buy.

The only real solution is that we consumers consume less, and probably spend more for the same products, period.

Re: Fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

#10
post #7

From a 2020 paper: > Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to…

> irrigated feed crops Simple solution - those who believe that is the problem can offer to buy the water rights and then let the water flow.

simply?
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