When Your God Deserts You

In the American southwest, water is and always has been god.  Its divinity is enshrined in man-made aquifers such as Lake Mead and Lake Powell, in the once mighty Hoover Dam, in the Los Angeles aquaducts.

From the earliest days, Western wisdom held that “whiskey is for drinking, but water is for fighting over.” Water wars erupted almost as soon as the settlers began occupying tribal lands. Water was the golden ticket, the key to prosperity. But unlike in the East, where reliable rivers just kept rolling, Western water was fickle. It roared and rampaged in certain seasons, and dried up entirely in others.

Out of the sands rose Las Vegas and Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque. These cities flourished and grew. Vegas even hosted artificial lakes. Many homes featured swimming pools. Life was good.

Everyone knew deep down that the taming, steering and storing of water could go only so far before there was no longer enough to go around.

That’s where we are now.

Virtually the entire West is tapped out. Extreme drought conditions prevail in all or parts of at least seven states. Wildfires are epidemic. Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, is drying up, with less water in it than at any time since its creation in the 1930s.

The implications are staggering. An estimated 25 million people, plus their businesses and farms, rely on water from Lake Mead, fed primarily by the Colorado River. Moreover, many of them rely on power from the Hoover Dam, where reservoir water drives the generators. The dam’s performance is now severely threatened by the falling water supply.

How does this play out? Who knows?

Comments

  1. TrailblazerJuly 20, 2021 at 5:11 PM

    It's only a matter of time for the USA to , again, suggest flooding BC for a water source.
    The water wars are here and now ; just look at Israel and India.
    The supply and use of water has always been subsidised by government.
    Many industries rely upon inexpensive water to run their businesses.
    The similarities between subsidised water and subsidised oil production should not be overlooked.

    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Disaffected LibJuly 21, 2021 at 8:19 AM

      Are you arguing for a minimum price for water used in commerce, TB?

      Worldwide, agriculture continues to account for the bulk of all water consumption, at around 70%, while industry accounts for 20%. However, this figure is skewed in the case of industrialised nations, where industry accounts for over half of the water consumption.

      Water consumption in automotive manufacturing

      "The global automotive industry is a major consumer of water for various production processes. According to some estimates, producing a car uses over 39,000 gallons of water, and whether tyre production is included varies by estimate."

      The article points out the cost industrial users bear in treating wastewater.

      Then there's the bottled water paradox. The water cost is 0.001 % of total cost. 70 % comes from marketing, distribution and retailer markup. Production uses three times the volume of the water in the bottle and one-quarter of the water volume in oil.

      A small (individual) bottle, 12 oz. or .355 litres, averages about $1.86 Cdn. Mein Gott, what a racket!!

      Delete
  2. Northern PoVJuly 21, 2021 at 9:54 AM

    "How does this play out? Who knows?"

    I do.

    "Site C and NAWAPA
    "Exactly the right place" for long-term continental water-sharing plans"

    ReplyDelete

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