Western US States Using Up Ground Water At an Alarming Rate

[DEAD7]

A new study shows that ground water in the Colorado basin is being depleted six times faster than surface water. The groundwater losses, which take thousands of years to be recharged naturally, point to the unsustainability of exploding population centers and water-intensive agriculture in the basin, which includes most of Arizona and parts of Colorado, California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming. Because ground water feeds many of the streams and rivers in the area, more of them will run dry.

 

[DEAD7]

Good ol' Govt.

 

[He Who Posts Well]

I'll be dead or on my way out when the water wars start. It's crazy how badly we misuse our natural resources.

 

[ADevilYouKhow]

be against regulation, brehs

 

[acri1]

@ this somehow being blamed on the govt when groundwater use is barely even regulated in most states (and not even enforced in the states with regulation)

 

[DEAD7]

@ this somehow being blamed on the govt when groundwater use is barely even regulated in most states (and not even enforced in the states with regulation)

Govt. subsidies encourage(putting it mildly) extremely poor water consumption decisions, mostly on the part of farmers/ranchers.



California has a severe water crisis due to both this and eco nuts.

 

[Malta]

And you have these dumb fukks fracking all over the place and contaminating water sheds left and right on top of it.

Who has the most fresh water outside of the US? We gonna be bringing democracy to them in 15 years.

 

[Yapdatfool]

Great lakes

And you have these dumb fukks fracking all over the place and contaminating water sheds left and right on top of it.

Who has the most fresh water outside of the US? We gonna be bringing democracy to them in 15 years.

But but bu... energy independence

 

[acri1]

Govt. subsidies encourage(putting it mildly) extremely poor water consumption decisions, mostly on the part of farmers/ranchers.



California has a severe water crisis due to both this and eco nuts.

Yeah, I'm sure it has nothing to do with droughts in recent years, population increases, or urbanization. Without those damned environmentalists and freeloading farmers we'd never have these issues.

 

[DEAD7]

Yeah, I'm sure it has nothing to do with droughts in recent years, population increases, or urbanization. Without those damned environmentalists and freeloading farmers we'd never have these issues.

Be for I respond let me make sure I understand... You dont think farmers are guzzling water at a horrendous rate in order to produce water guzzling crops not native to California?









... and @ you resorting to strawmen
That's my shtick.

 

[acri1]

Be for I respond let me make sure I understand... You dont think farmers are guzzling water at a horrendous rate in order to produce water guzzling crops not native to California?

While subsidies might create skewed incentives to grow certain crops, most water usage (by far) in California is for unsubsidized crops.

It's pretty disingenuous to attribute this issue to subsidization.

 

[DEAD7]

While subsidies might create skewed incentives to grow certain crops, most water usage (by far) in California is for unsubsidized crops.

It's pretty disingenuous to attribute this issue to subsidization.

Farmers have contributed to the shortage because many of them continue to irrigate their land with water-wasting open trenches growing subsidized cattle feed(such as alfalfa), which itself is a water guzzler. (govt.)
Homeowners have contributed to the shortage because many of their houses lack water meters or other devices necessary to track water consumption (not govt... i suppose though it sounds like something govt. will soon be responsible for if it isnt already)
Environmentalists have contributed to the shortage because they have opposed the construction of new water-storing reservoirs and have persuaded state regulators to hold back more water to protect fish such as the Delta smelt .(govt.)

Having personally had to vote on this issue locally, I can tell you its not disingenuous to point the finger at the state, and that the root cause(if we are being honest) is that water is too cheap, but as I have learned here locally(in Fresno) no one wants to hear that.

Underpriced good with limited supply + increased demand = shortage.... its basic econ. But the idea of water not being free or cheap flys in the face of everything the progressives in my area believe in... so

 

[Strapped]

are we looking at more sink holes

 

[Julius Skrrvin]

west coast lawst again

seriously there needs to be some initiative to move some of these guys into the north or midwest

 

[Wild self]

We need to CREATE more fresh water by technology means and reduce people having kids