Not enough water to go around: Colorado River Basin, ravaged by drought, plans for a drier future

[@MrBlpete]

Who would have thought that we would run into water issues when establishing cities in the desert? Amazing

[@chubbysumo2230]

would would have thought that adding "ghost water" to the colorado river treaty would ever be a good idea.

[@ryeann2567]

But ding dongs keep moving to and building in Phoenix. Crazy.

[@mikeheath7551]

The Colorado River has not made it to the gulf as a real "river" for many decades, so it should make folks suspicious that the corrupt media and government are just now claiming that they learned the truth~! Any competent boater/water skier individual who was experienced in the Havasu & Parker Colorado River area sure would know that the Colorado River is not enough to play in below Parker AZ BTW~! It has been that way for over 50 years as far as I know ;-) M

[@heyRex]

People use less than farms in the desert, which account for 70% of the water consumption.

[@karl5404]

​@heyRex and without them, we would not have fruits and vegetables in the winter. "They produce 90% of winter greens".

[@joanjohnson9616]

California has 1100 golf courses, 140 in Palm Springs. Arizona has 300, Utah about the same. It takes 385,000 gallons of water per day to keep the grass watered for these courses. Saudi Arabia has 15,000 acres of alfalfa in Ariz. And Cal. 1 acre of alfalfa takes 1100 gals 0f water per acre. Alfalfa is illegal in Saudi Arabia because it takes to much water to grow. They need it for their cows. The acres of alfalfa planted in Ariz. are above an aquifer that the Saudis use with no restrictions. Meanwhile our farmers are going bankrupt because they have no water. Our citizens have to have drinking water trucked in. Cattle farms are selling off their cows and why are golf course allowed in the desert? WTF!

[@basedoz5745]

Golf courses use a tiny fraction of the water in AZ. Less than 2%. With some of that being recycled water.

[@stayinganonymous.3172]

What a BS elitist sport...

[@gumecindogarcia1070]

20 years ago I ran into a guy that recorded data from the North rim of the Grand Canyon. Whenever he turned in data he'd get reading material. One journal was on old cedar growth tmrig data. He said some ancient rings showed up to 90 year droughts in the Arizona area

[@yogawithjengentleyoga3614]

Money makes the water flow!

[@alexlifeson8946]

That's bs

[@diegogonzalez7279]

If you see how much water people and businesses waste in the LA basin is mind blowing everywhere you look there is fountain and water decoration like wow

[@SkyGlitchGalaxy]

All that makes little difference. Residential water usage is a small fraction compared to agriculture. U could ban all that, and it wouldn't do much to fix the problem.

[@djm2189]

​@weekendwarrior3420true but we do have an answer, desalinization. We can make more clean potable water. Make our water treatment more efficient after use and we are fairly golden. The issue would be it would cost more but that would help limit population use. Be honest water bill is cheap. Electricity bill not so much. The problem is desert states can't make water and there is only so much ground water.

[@MusikCassette]

@@djm2189 the condition for that to work is to massively build up renewable energy production. That way solving the water problem also helps with the cost of electricity, because desalination can help balance energy production.

[@McAwesome363]

@@djm2189 People need to break up with the idea of having meat 3 meals/day 365 days/year. Vast majority of water used in agriculture is used to grow corn and alfalfa which is used for animal feed.

[@HandyMan657]

Why does farming in a desert seem contradictory to me? Especially a water-hungry crop.

[@Praisethesunson]

Because it is a massive waste of a limited resource. Just so our corporate overlords can become slightly richer.

[@hebrewisraelitescharleston843]

@1:24 : you!

[@someguy2135]

Alfalfa is a very thirsty crop, and a huge amount of water is wasted on growing it and other livestock feed crops. 70% of Colorado River water is used for agriculture, and most of that is used for animal agriculture.

[@Madmun357]

Nothing wrong about farming in the desert...farming alfalfa and cotton in the desert doesn't make sense.

[@someguy2135]

@@Praisethesunson How could each of us fight the companies that profit from this wasteful practice? Boycott animal products. Each vegan saves 219,000 gallons (829,000 liters) of fresh water every year! "UNESCO Institute for Water Education:The production of a meat-based diet typically consumes twice the amount of water as compared to a plant-based diet. National Geographic:"On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet." Diet change-a solution to reduce water use? (IOP Science):This 2014 research finds "reducing animal products in the human diet offers the potential to save water resources, up to the amount currently required to feed 1.8 billion additional people globally."- Truth or Drought

[@sissyroxx]

First problem: Arizona is allowing Saudi Arabia to drain millions of gallons of water every year free of charge. Second problem: Gourds require a large amount of water to grow yet they're mostly decorative. There's little to eat inside a gourd and what's there isn't palatable anyway. Third problem: If you want to live in the desert like a Bedouin then live like one, start by getting rid of the lawns and golf courses. 🤦

[@Dina-lc4bt]

Agree. Why are they growing a thirsty, non-food crop in the middle of a desert. 🧐

[@Randy-jz9ox]

How is Saudi Arabia draining water from Arizona? Are you implying an aquifer connects the two locations in some way?

[@Doktracy]

They bought land to grow alfalfa and export it for their Saudi dairies/horse farms.

[@williebeamish5879]

​@@DoktracyWhy hasn't the US banned any and all land purchasing by other countries. Make em rent it like Corporate America is doing to it's citizens now. And make that rent really high, just like these investors are doing to the average American.

[@KB-ke3fi]

@@Randy-jz9ox They are buying thousands of acres of land in America, and so is China.

[@eddieleong6490]

Decades ago, I hiked down the Canyon to the Colorado River. The water was so nice. I hope there will always be water.

[@Bonzi_Buddy]

Water created the Canyon so take a Xanax.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

There will always be water. Ignore this silly eco propaganda.

[@patrickmurray3846]

correction, the colorado river basin is ""NOT"" ravaged by drought, but by water abuse.

[@raulaguilar4952]

It’s a combination of both with the heat wave evaporating more water everyday.

[@CMarkem]

Just don't blame nevada, we only get 4% of the lower basin and put back over half we use by water treatment. California is like 60% water usage ...

[@johng.8600]

​@@CMarkembs Vegas sucks it up too

[@roboparks]

@@johng.8600 California is the Problem with the Colorada making the inner States in the Region bare the cost of this.

[@raven113p6]

Arizona is not my concern...Smart to to live there.... to live there...?????

[@riccardob7774]

Greed is the “magic” word here.

[@petebusch9069]

Combined with corrupt politicians.

[@ronilm100]

It’s spelled “capitalism”.

[@thomasnew8606]

​@@ronilm100learn about the word capitalism.

[@cehii9514]

Again? Another report ignoring the fact that Colorado is stealing the Colorado river. There are over 400 Tributaries of the Colorado River being diverted away to the eastern side of the Rockies feeding the farms of Colorado. That is over 400 creeks, streams, and rivers diverted from the Colorado River watershed to Denver and its surrounding cities and farms yet no one reports on this major theft. 60 Minutes, you failed! It is surprising that they showed flood irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, the 2 worst and wasteful irrigation types and barely talked about conservation techniques. Not to mention they showed cotton and alfalfa fields, which are the worst water consuming crops. I have never seen anyone eat either of those yet they wanna claim they feed country? They are cash crops and nothing else But while people get all bound up about woke or tRump, they ignore the problems that need to be solved and allow themselves to be distracted enough to continue to steal the wealth of America

[@oso9809]

California water mismanagement is the second problem when it comes to a water shortage out west. The first problem is probably far to many people want to reside in the desert without learning to live the dry life.

[@chubbysumo2230]

this isn't CA mismanagement. The Colorado river treaty included 15 million acrefeet of "ghost water". They literally added fake water that never existed so that some people could get larger allocations than they needed or deserved. CA is pretty good with water conservation.

[@the_DOS]

California should get most of the water since they are the most important state in the nation. I been living in Arizona off well water all my life and honestly, people shouldn't be moving here and building homes. Luckily, I have enough land that I can live off here forever with my ground water.

[@JustOne-qi5vg]

Yeah ..they need to get they're own water... straight up....n stay in California too

[@JustOne-qi5vg]

Each state for there own

[@miketexas4549]

Fun fact: Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, does not have its own water. Every last drop has to be imported.

[@demonslayer5613]

Millions of people live in a desert and they wonder why water is running out?

[@Synathidy]

When our species lets its overpopulation spiral out of control to 8 billion and counting, kind of hard to have no one live in any non-ideal places. We're going to find more and more humans feeling cramped and cornered into uncomfortable places as climate change renders the lands we once took for granted desolate wastelands. The mass collapse of ecosystems has begun. Water is going to keep becoming more and more scarce, and the scarcity will gradually affect more and more places as those who live in dried up areas are forced to shunt water off those communities that still have it. It's a fantastic recipe for some ugly wars to go along with our destruction of nature. Gonna be fun.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

@@Synathidy Water isn't scarce at your house because it's delivered through a network of pipes. Say the water company turned off your water, would it then become scarce? Water isn't scarce, it just needs to brought where it's needed...like it is at your house. Plenty of water on the planet.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

Those millions on people you state only use roughly 12% of the water per the USGS. Over 80% of the water, per the BOR, is used to irrigate crops, crops that are shipped all over the world to feed people, including you. Where did you ever get the idea it that "population" using all the water?

[@Don-md6wn]

​@@Bouncer-id1rhYeah, just pipe the water over mountain ranges. 😅😅😅

[@CHIEF_420]

​@@Bouncer-id1rhMuchas agua tiene 🧂. Estás ignorante. Demasiado muchas personas en la planeta = menos agua por individuales

[@rayrous8229]

Saying that you have a right to drink from an empty ditch is denial. Having a politician do this is just pandering.

[@rbb.828]

Was one of the dumbest spiels I’ve heard from a politician in a long time

[@bradleysmall2230]

One of Reagan’s best Jokes. Soviet apparatchik: OK you can have a new car. Pay for it now and you can collect it in 10 years from today. Russian asks: Morning or afternoon. Soviet: why would that matter. Russian: the plumber is coming in the morning.

[@Don-md6wn]

Reagan was a dunce.

[@bradleysmall2230]

@@Don-md6wn trump 2024

[@proudchristian77]

Regan was also a US president & a grown Man in His own right ! & words can hurt others & should be considered before spoken or wrote ! 💝🐕

[@richsantiago5663]

As we've been reporting our whole lives, " WATER IS LIFE".

[@danhumphrey5755]

Let's talk about a farmer who grows water thirsty plants like cotton (which is inferior to hemp) and alfalfa (used for animal feed) and crookneck gourds (which are a substitute for pumpkin) and each of those crops can be grown where there's enough water to sustain them. Arizona is the wrong place to grow thirsty crops and animals.

[@irreccon]

I have said for a long time that Americans never learned to live with the land we are constantly trying to force it to do what isn't natural. Like reroute an entire river system to water golf courses in the desert.

[@StephenGillie]

We should grow these along the Pacific Coast. The challenge there is getting enough light, as the rain-laden clouds get in the way of the sunlight.

[@mattsimon931]

Wish I could remember what channel just did a great video breaking down how much water was used simply for feed crops for cattle. Maybe Now This Earth channel.

[@meminustherandomgooglenumbers]

@@irreccon we aren’t perfect but we’ve done a lot. European rivers used to have swarms of migrating fish like North American rivers do, but they dammed all their rivers without regard for the fish and ended up killing them all, to where their rivers are still pretty much bare to this day. They used to be able to live off the river fish, so they then had to go ocean fishing, depleting ocean stocks until they were fishing off the coast of North America just to be able to find good fishing. But we give the fish paths to migrate upriver when we dam, so we still have lots of the migrating game fish. And we still have big animals too. Germany killed all its bears like 400 years ago. Then a bear climbed over the Alps and into Germany, so Germany had one wild bear. And then a hunter shot and killed it, so they went back down to zero wild bears.

[@StephenGillie]

@@mattsimon931 It's through alfalfa, which can have up to 10 growing seasons per year, but humans don't really like to eat. But cattle do. The other side is that the world's largest generation will be passing on through the next couple of decades, making a lot more room for the rest of us. Too much, in many areas.

[@soul2soul399]

A single desert golf course can use up to 1 million gallons of water per day. How many golf courses are in the 7 states sharing the Colorado River water? There are 370 golf courses in the Arizona desert. Over 300 in Colorado. In Utah, 140. Over 100 courses in New Mexico. Almost 100 courses in Wyoming. 88 courses in Nevada. And more than 600 golf courses in Southern California! (Northern CA doesn’t use Colorado River water) That’s approximately 1700 golf courses! Some of these courses use ground water and recycled water in addition to river water, but the amount of water wasted on 1,700 golf courses in this region is flabbergasting! Are we going to continue cutting back on water needed to grow our food just so rich people in ugly pants can hit a ball with a stick for fun?

[@wipatriot510]

"A single desert golf course can use up to 1 million gallons of water per day" Cite your source or remove your comment...

[@Praisethesunson]

​@@wipatriot510Google it champ. An 18 hole golf course uses over 1 million gallons of water per year.

[@Praisethesunson]

Golf courses are playgrounds for the rich. So those will be protected. The rabble can drink dirt.

[@susankeith326]

@@wipatriot510 I just looked it up. Even in 2008, Palm Springs and other desert courses were using a million gallons a day.

[@someguy2135]

You and I can't do much about golf courses, other than to boycott them. But we can convert our grass lawns to alternative landscaping, and we can switch to a plant based diet. "A meat-eater’s diet requires 17 times more land, 14 times more water and 10 times more energy than a vegetarian’s, according to research published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is principally because we use a large proportion of the world’s land for growing crops to feed livestock, rather than humans. (Of the world’s approximately five billion hectares of agricultural land, 68% is used for livestock.) This squeeze on resources is only set to intensify. In 50 years’ time, the UN predicts there will be 10.5 billion people on the planet (the current world population is around 7 billion). To feed us all, it says, we will need to grow food more sustainably. Dr Walt Willett, professor of medicine at Harvard University, says we could eliminate the worst cases of world hunger today with about 40 million tonnes of food - yet 760 million tonnes is fed to animals on farms every year." -BBC Good Food Title- "What would happen if everyone went vegan?" (By Paul Allen) Each vegan saves 219,000 gallons of water every year!

[@jamessang5027]

If you are a Colorado farmer, do this: Harvest your rain water by subsoil plowing 2 to 3 feet deep during your rainy season. Build swales on land that you are not planting to harvest rainwater. Around your well subsoil plow or build swales to harvest rainwater to help raise your well water , raise your groundwater levels and to raise your water aquifer levels. If you have clay soils, build large ponds to collect rainwater and cover with tarps to prevent the pondwater from evaporating.

[@glennwall552]

Arh salt release? Happens in Australia.

[@thenuthouse98]

It is illegal to harvest rainwater in CO.

[@johnbrylledomingo6377]

@@thenuthouse98 collecting water = illegal ???? wtf

[@lostnlove2309]

there are states that you cannot collect water. They say it belongs in the lake. It’s crazy that what comes out of the sky from God people cannot collect?

[@TheKuptis]

​@@thenuthouse98 You people in those states that a person can't collect rainwater need to fight to regain it, especially if you own land.

[@sandradunn7547]

Gourds, cotton, alfalfa none of which are edible by humans.

[@Praisethesunson]

They are grown for profits. Not for something as trivial as feeding humans

[@someguy2135]

Alfalfa is fed to cows, parts of whom are edible, but humans would be better off without animal agriculture. Each vegan saves 219,000 gallons (829,000 liters) of fresh water every year! "UNESCO Institute for Water Education:The production of a meat-based diet typically consumes twice the amount of water as compared to a plant-based diet. National Geographic:"On average, a vegan, a person who doesn't eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet." Diet change-a solution to reduce water use? (IOP Science):This 2014 research finds "reducing animal products in the human diet offers the potential to save water resources, up to the amount currently required to feed 1.8 billion additional people globally."- Truth or Drought

[@someguy2135]

Alfalfa is a very thirsty crop, and a huge amount of water is wasted on growing it and other livestock feed crops. 70% of Colorado River water is used for agriculture, and most of that is used for animal agriculture.

[@someguy2135]

One more reason to switch to a fully plant based diet. Can anyone refute any of these compelling reasons to boycott animal products? 1-Your own health (vegans are less likely to get the most common chronic, deadly diseases) 2-Helping to end animal agriculture would reduce the chance of another pandemic & other zoonotic diseases 3-Helping to end animal ag would reduce the chance of the development of an antibiotic resistant pathogen. 4-Animal ag wastes a huge amount of fresh water. Each vegan saves 219,000 gallons of water every year! 5-Animal ag is a major cause of water pollution 6-Animal ag is a major cause of deforestation 7-Animal ag increases PTSD and spousal abuse in the people who work in slaughterhouses. Workers in meat packing facilities often endure terrible, dangerous working conditions. 8-Animal ag is a major cause of the loss of habitat and biodiversity 9-Needless killing of innocent, sentient beings cannot be ethically justified. 10- It is the single most effective way for each of us to fight climate change and environmental degradation. 11- Longer lifespan. 12- Healthier weight (vegans were the only dietary group in the Adventist Studies that had an average BMI in the recommended range.) 13- A healthy plant based diet significantly reduces the chances of ED later in life, and even 1 meal can improve bedroom performance 14- Vegetarians and vegans have lower rates of dementia later in life 15- A plant based diet could save money! You could reduce your food budget by one third! 16-A fully plant based diet improves the immune system according to a study published in the journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health 17-A fully plant based food system would greatly reduce food borne illnesses like salmonella 18-A fully plant based food system would be able to feed millions more people. Our population is growing! 19-A fully plant based food system would save 13,000 lives a year from the air pollution caused by animal agriculture, according to a study 20- A vegan world would save 8 million human lives a year, and $1 trillion in health care and related costs (Oxford Study) Links for some of these are at my channel under "About." If you doubt any of them, I would be glad to cite evidence from credible sources to back them up. KZbin only allows a certain number of links at my channel. After I made my list, I found this video with his own list which overlaps mine. He cites evidence from credible sources in the description. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5SZfp2jqJalnq8

[@someguy2135]

A meat-eater’s diet requires 17 times more land, 14 times more water and 10 times more energy than a vegetarian’s, according to research published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is principally because we use a large proportion of the world’s land for growing crops to feed livestock, rather than humans. (Of the world’s approximately five billion hectares of agricultural land, 68% is used for livestock.) This squeeze on resources is only set to intensify. In 50 years’ time, the UN predicts there will be 10.5 billion people on the planet (the current world population is around 7 billion). To feed us all, it says, we will need to grow food more sustainably. Dr Walt Willett, professor of medicine at Harvard University, says we could eliminate the worst cases of world hunger today with about 40 million tonnes of food - yet 760 million tonnes is fed to animals on farms every year." -BBC Good Food Title- "What would happen if everyone went vegan?" (By Paul Allen)

[@rbl6822]

WATER is more important than any amount of wealth !

[@mikethomas7138]

many a battles over water have happened, and likely to happen

[@ProCoach2373]

I'm in Henderson and my neighbors are still putting in massive pools, huge palms, power washing their block walls for weeks, and on down the line. Behaviors will only change for the majority when it's forced. I find it asanine and selfish, but they are within their rights.

[@marcusrobinson1778]

Prisoner dilemma tragedy of the commons

[@NYyankeeboi]

What is asinine and selfish is that so much of the rain that recently fell is let out to sea. If were really in a "drought" why would the government let this practice continue?

[@marcusrobinson1778]

@@NYyankeeboi source? What sea? What are you on about

[@orthopraxis235]

Las Vegas uses very little water, and returns most of their allocation after processing to lake mead via the wetlands. Las Vegas is NOT the problem in the west. Arizona with it's alfalfa. California this year is supplying mostly its own water from the record year.

[@mikemanner9811]

⁠I think you mean “what are you on?”

[@humblecourageous3919]

We live in North San Diego County. We put in 5,000 gallons of rainwater tanks. We save our shower water, wash our dishes in a small tub in the sink, don't flush every time. We have the rain tanks to water our fruit trees in the hottest part of the year. According to our water bill, we are low water users. It's not fun restricting water usage, but it can be done.

[@humblecourageous3919]

I forgot to say that for about 8 years, using Oasis detergent, we have been on a laundry to landscape system. It waters 3 fruit trees and some plants in the front yard. We filled our swimming pool with dirt about 15 years ago. If we knew how bad it would get when we filled it with dirt we would have tried to convert it to a rainwater tank instead.

[@pookahdragon5850]

I live exclusively off of rain water in NM. Yes, I have to conserve. I also use permaculture methods which increases the water table in my immediate area. My property is greener than most.

[@cantrell0817]

Ya you're not virtue signaling. Lol

[@mattsimon931]

There is so much potential in water reuse like you mentioned.

[@humblecourageous3919]

@@pookahdragon5850 Good job.

[@jake-ip9vg]

I live in arizona and have always hated seeing large grass fields

[@larrysorenson4789]

And where do you see those other than in bonafide agricultural or grazing for cattle and horses.

[@ghostshirt1984]

I lived in Tucson and now I live in Seattle where there's more water

[@clock99times]

Get rid of the golf courses. We need water for survival!!!

[@Praisethesunson]

Golf courses are playgrounds for the rich. The rich have already made it clear they don't care about your life.

[@eleventy-seven]

You were ahead of me on that but I have a real problem with the private courses.. They can play at public courses with the rest of us mere mortals or they can pound sand.

[@someguy2135]

You and I can't do much about golf courses, other than to boycott them. But we can convert our grass lawns to alternative landscaping, and we can switch to a plant based diet. "A meat-eater’s diet requires 17 times more land, 14 times more water and 10 times more energy than a vegetarian’s, according to research published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is principally because we use a large proportion of the world’s land for growing crops to feed livestock, rather than humans. (Of the world’s approximately five billion hectares of agricultural land, 68% is used for livestock.) This squeeze on resources is only set to intensify. In 50 years’ time, the UN predicts there will be 10.5 billion people on the planet (the current world population is around 7 billion). To feed us all, it says, we will need to grow food more sustainably. Dr Walt Willett, professor of medicine at Harvard University, says we could eliminate the worst cases of world hunger today with about 40 million tonnes of food - yet 760 million tonnes is fed to animals on farms every year." -BBC Good Food Title- "What would happen if everyone went vegan?" (By Paul Allen) Each vegan saves 219,000 gallons of water every year!

[@clock99times]

Agree!

[@Randy-jz9ox]

​​​@@someguy2135every vegan I know had to start eating meat protein for health reasons, and i was told by a vegan over over 30 years that started eating some meats recently that they felt better than they had in decades. Vegan diet isn't sustainable.

[@Toneloke-3000]

Many cultures have abandoned ancient cities and looks like that will happen again in the southwest and the Panhandle.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

When?

[@Toneloke-3000]

@@Bouncer-id1rh come on man, Central and South America, Africa , Middle East do I need to go on

[@laserflexr6321]

Funny, I was just looking at google earth images last night thinking they need to build a lot more dams across West Texas. I remember travelling West bound on I-10 having to wait 3 days before I could continue because the Pecos river flooded over the interstate. Shore woulda been nice to catch half of that for next year and avoided all that damage to interstate and I'm sure it messed up a lot of other stuff too.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

@@Toneloke-3000 So what you're saying is those cities in the southwest will need to be abandoned? Are you really saying that?

[@Toneloke-3000]

@@Bouncer-id1rh yes eventually. The more these desert cities expand the quicker they will exacerbate the water problem to a Tipping Point and that'll be the beginning of the end

[@blitzegron4848]

John Wesley Powell, the namesake of the river, predicted a similar situation more than 150 years ago. The plans at play were based on a very wet period of time. Now precipitation declines back to what should be seen as normal and everyone panics.

[@off_mah_lawn2074]

“Normal” if you consider the longest drought in 1200 years normal

[@blitzegron4848]

@@off_mah_lawn2074 1200 years? Who was the observer? Based on what data? Also, if the age of the earth is 4.5B years, the 1200 years is nothing and there is virtually no reliable data for that region older than maybe 200 years at best.

[@KSwizzleDrizzle]

What the farmer did actually got me thinking. How many of farmers are actually optimizing their resources? Previously he’s been farming as if he had unlimited water. Now he’s investing into old wells, using new techniques that would provide plants with the adequate amount of water and etc. More farmers need to be doing this to conserve water.

[@marthadoelle7585]

They are actually overpumping the aquifers at unsustainable levels.

[@cehii9514]

Again? Another report ignoring the fact that Colorado is stealing the Colorado river. There are over 400 Tributaries of the Colorado River being diverted away to the eastern side of the Rockies feeding the farms of Colorado. That is over 400 creeks, streams, and rivers diverted from the Colorado River watershed to Denver and its surrounding cities and farms yet no one reports on this major theft. 60 Minutes, you failed! It is surprising that they showed flood irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, the 2 worst and wasteful irrigation types and barely talked about conservation techniques. Not to mention they showed cotton and alfalfa fields, which are the worst water consuming crops. I have never seen anyone eat either of those yet they wanna claim they feed country? They are cash crops and nothing else But while people get all bound up about woke or tRump, they ignore the problems that need to be solved and allow themselves to be distracted enough to continue to steal the wealth of America

[@Enonymouse_]

I suspect farmers have not made significant efforts to optimize how they utilize water. Farms in spain have been forced to rethink how they farm and use water because globally the water supply is drastically reduced. The amazon river may actually lose much of its flow within my life time. It isn't just farmers, housing developers and planners need to completely rethink how housing is implemented.

[@xCkillaxC]

If he was concerned about water usage, he'd stop planting water heavy crops every season like alfalfa.

[@kimm6589]

Except he's not changing what he grows. He's growing the crops that China pays him the most for. I have no sympathy for that.

[@A3Kr0n]

"We live in an era of limits right now and it's not going to go away anytime soon. In fact, it's only going to get worse" Well said. Very well said.

[@JackF99]

Overpopulation is the root cause of today's significant problems

[@keithsj10]

Graphene water filters will be the magic savior once someone figures out how to manufacture them in industrial quantities. Then sea water can be filtered easily and the water pumped inland anywhere, recharging rivers, lakes, dams and reservoirs and supplying limitless clean drinking water anywhere. Laying a pipeline in the CAP canal and pumping water back up through it would probably be a relatively cost effective way to get water back up into the mountains and lakes. The ever increasing federal water quality requirements make drinking water that was fine twenty years ago, hazardous today. THAT water could be run through graphene filters so we can drink it. Biden should be investing in THAT technology instead of sending hundreds of billions to Ukraine or paying for someone else's higher education financing choices.

[@PendulumCancel]

That sentence in particular grabbed my attention. The 2030's and beyond are going to be all about our previous naive infinite growth models violently crashing up against the stark reality of a world of limited resources. The whimsical American culture of instant gratification and exceptionalism is going to react in ways that will terrify imo. I'm nearly as afraid of that ideological reaction as I am of the actual climate change up ahead, but this time I'm afraid we won't have another FDR to open up a new path through representative democracy as was done during the great depression nearly a century ago. This time sclerotic octogenarian political leadership, corporate overlords and straight up fascists are all we'll have. utterly terrifying

[@JackF99]

@@PendulumCancel especially since the conservative half of the population is today more than ever programmed to dismiss any mention of limiting growth or acknowledgement of limited resources of any kind as godless SOCIALISM.

[@StephenGillie]

It just flooded. It went away. Sorry that the quote isn't relevant anymore.

[@Georgiagreen317]

I sincerely hope they find a quick solution to this problem. We sure as hell don't want those folks moving back east.

[@MrSesmith11]

Well, the water is going away but your representatives and senators are making sure you keep your guns.

[@gixellia8455]

Bingo!!!

[@lowellcalavera6045]

Save it.

[@mrmark8603]

@@Think-dont-believe As the result of climate "change". More extremes.

[@someguy2135]

@@mrmark8603 This drought is made worse by climate change. Animal agriculture is a major contributor to climate change. It contributes more green house gasses than all transportation combined. One more reason to boycott animal products. Going vegan is the single most effective way for each of us to minimize our environmental footprint. "According to the most comprehensive analysis of farming’s impact on the planet, plant-based food is most effective at combatting climate change. Oxford University researcher Joseph Poore, who led the study, said adopting a vegan diet is “the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth.” “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use. It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car,” he explained, which would only reduce greenhouse gas. Avoiding consumption of animal products delivers far better environmental benefits than trying to purchase sustainable meat and dairy,” he added.”. -Joseph Poore, Environmental Science Researcher, University of Oxford. Joseph Poore switched to a plant based diet after seeing the results of the study. Links at my channel under "About.

[@stayinganonymous.3172]

Good. We will need the guns when the water becomes really scarace. That'll make it harder for the rich to gargle it all up.

[@Randy-jz9ox]

You've overpopulated areas with no water supply. What did you expect? Youd better develop a cheap sustainable way to desalinate sea water.

[@Randy-jz9ox]

@km-vm9yl that doesn't exist in that area

[@Randy-jz9ox]

@@Think-dont-believe you're not very bright if you think trucking in water is a viable option.

[@igaroot]

doesn’t exist

[@igaroot]

@@Think-dont-believesea level rise is due to the melting of the ice caps

[@russellkeeling4387]

The west coast has huge rivers that run into the sea. Why don't they use any of that water?

[@Johnny53kgb-nsa]

Just curious, this may be a dumb question, but why doesn't our federal and state government start building more reservoirs instead of letting all of our river's empty into the ocean?

[@b_uppy]

They need to plant biome appropriate trees and shrubs in the hills; farmers need to switch to polycropping using biome-appropriate, food-producing perennials, shrubs and trees (avoiding monocropping with annuals, which require a lot more water); ranchers need to practice a type of rotational grazing called mob grazing, which builds protective soil cover and avoids overgrazing by frequently moving cattle; and everybody including parks, homeowners and cities install rainwater harvesting structures from obsite materials, these would include swales, bunds, checkdams, bioswales etc. This could include prioritizing using road and parking lot runoff to water landscaping instead of diverting it to sewer drains. Brad Lancaster is a great resource regarding rainwater harvesting techniques and has two books on the subject, and Mark Shepard discusses biome appropriate crops in his book, Restoration Agriculture. The Savory Institute is a great resource on mobgrazing. More rail instead of roads would be better as well. Roads dry out landscapes, while rail allows a lot more permeability.

[@StephenGillie]

They just had a flood, so the immediate problem has significantly changed.

[@b_uppy]

@@StephenGillie Not quite. Flooding is a symptom of the soil being dead from lack of moisture. This is where what I described is important. Plant life and raising the water table would greatly reduce flooding, water lost directly to evaporation, reduce soil loss, increase water for wildlife, reduce fire danger, etc.

[@StephenGillie]

@@b_uppy But the reservoirs are refilled, so it's just a matter of time. To say that the drought is a permanent state despite the flooding would be misleading at best, as there is always an end to the drought.

[@b_uppy]

@@StephenGillie You're only thinking of the reservoirs being filled instead of thinking of better water management. Filled reservoirs do little to reduce wildfires, flooding, soil loss, etc.

[@StephenGillie]

@@b_uppy Dessicated soil reduces wildfires quite effectively - what can't grow can't be there to burn. And again, I do not believe that flooding doesn't fix droughts, at least somewhat. Especially with the reservoirs full to slowly refill the groundwater. The scenario you're describing sounds unscientific, where the soil is permanently damaged and unable to sustain life, yet still contributing to wildfires. Soil is just oxides and detritus, just add water and bacteria and boom it's viable again.

[@shamrock5725]

Not once have I ever seen that gourd or alfalfa on the shelves at any grocery store in the Phoenix area. How about we stop growing high use crops that we don't even use. Crops are the largest user by far than anything else.

[@McAwesome363]

If you consume meat or dairy then you are indirectly consuming the alfalfa.

[@McAwesome363]

Yet you see beef which is what the alfalfa is fed to

[@vitale6633]

When the SoCal Municipal Water District (SoCal-MWD comprised of 13 counties) was founded & then funded the Colorado Aqueduct Project back in 1931 (for $220M) the entire population of California was approx 7M people. The project employed nearly 38K people during the depression over a 10 year period. CA today (August 2023) is nearly 40M people and the states of Nevada, Utah and AZ have grown significantly and are demanding their previously agreed upon allotments. In 1980 the population of CA was approx 23M - when several lakes on the Colorado river were at "full pool". We are almost twice that in CA population now - with significantly increased agricultural production. Almonds and other crops are particularly water intensive and, as noted in the video nearly 70% of CA's water consumption is for agriculture. The demands on the CO aqueduct system are at levels far beyond the original design. Truly a testament to the engineers and people who made it a reality. And yet we blame "Climate Change". Nope - It's Demand Change. We ignored our increased demand, lack of planning and the cyclical weather of an arid region. The LADWP "stole" water from Northern CA back in the 1930's as well - it's still an issue today. There's so much history to this story & easily glossed over. Don't get me wrong - the Colorado Aqueduct system which terminates at Lake Mathews CA is an AMAZING feat of engineering - traversing 5 mountain ranges and creating some of the most beautiful lakes to be enjoyed along with Boulder Dam (aka Hoover Dam). As a side note, due to the extended winter the western US has recently experienced, Lake Powell is up over 43' and Lake Mead is up over 20' as of August 7th 2023 from a year ago. I encourage anyone who has read this far to search YT regarding Boulder Dam and the CO Aqueduct system - it's an amazing story of Vision, Engineering, Politics and shear Determination by the hard working people who made it happen.

[@abrahamgonzalez1028]

Close all golf courses and government supplied drip irrigation systems should do the trick. And of course no grass in residential homes.

[@someguy2135]

You and I can't do much about golf courses, other than to boycott them. But we can convert our grass lawns to alternative landscaping, and we can switch to a plant based diet. "A meat-eater’s diet requires 17 times more land, 14 times more water and 10 times more energy than a vegetarian’s, according to research published by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This is principally because we use a large proportion of the world’s land for growing crops to feed livestock, rather than humans. (Of the world’s approximately five billion hectares of agricultural land, 68% is used for livestock.) This squeeze on resources is only set to intensify. In 50 years’ time, the UN predicts there will be 10.5 billion people on the planet (the current world population is around 7 billion). To feed us all, it says, we will need to grow food more sustainably. Dr Walt Willett, professor of medicine at Harvard University, says we could eliminate the worst cases of world hunger today with about 40 million tonnes of food - yet 760 million tonnes is fed to animals on farms every year." -BBC Good Food Title- "What would happen if everyone went vegan?" (By Paul Allen) Each vegan saves 219,000 gallons of water every year!

[@rsenior7140]

Golf courses use reclaimed water, genius.

[@ronj9448]

@@someguy2135 Same boring post. Of course there are things that people local to the area can do. They can vote out the idiots and vote in people that will keep their cities healthy by getting rid of waste. How? By outlawing golf courses that are not using local plants and shrubs for one thing.

[@someguy2135]

@@rsenior7140 Couldn't that reclaimed water be used for growing the food we need instead?

[@someguy2135]

@@ronj9448 70-80% of Colorado River water is used for agriculture. How much of that is used for animal agriculture? "And when you zoom in to look at exactly which crops receive the bulk of the Colorado River’s water, 70 percent goes to alfalfa, hay, corn silage, and other grasses that are used to fatten up cattle for beef and cows for dairy. Some of the other crops, like soy, corn grain, wheat, barley, and even cotton, may also be used for animal feed."-Vox Title, Subtitle-"Let’s talk about the biggest cause of the West’s water crisis The Colorado River is going dry ... to feed cows. By Kenny Torrella"

[@GhostOnTheHalfShell]

70% of colorado goes to ag. 80% of that goes to fodder crops like alfalfa, which is exported or feeds cattle for export. We must choose: feed ourselves, provide water for cities, industry and hydro or export water as alfalfa and beef. It’s that simple. Choose.

[@Praisethesunson]

Murica will choose the profit interests of the rich before they care about drinking water for the poors

[@robbank8027]

Welcome to globalization. We need to put something back on those import ships, can't send them back empty.

[@Praisethesunson]

@@robbank8027 Lol we used to send a bunch of trash plastic to China and called it recycling

[@GhostOnTheHalfShell]

@@robbank8027 kinda. people like their showers and tap water. they also like electricity.

[@gmac8852]

Let them drink sand.

[@Bettina4257]

Thank you for this video! I spend a vacation in that region in 1996 and a ranger informed us about water problems at Lake Mono - and now it´s 2023 and the problem is much bigger....

[@Orcinus1967]

20 years of drought in the desert southwest, and the water used to water the grass and fill swimming pools. 163 million people in the US circa 1963. Now 334 million using the water for crops, showers, watering the lawn, toilets, laundry machines, washing cars and dishes, golf courses. It ads up.

[@briom1425]

Increasing population comes with a cost , and the United States just keep bringing people in like there is an abundance of everything here

[@ronaldcole7415]

Greed is most stupid of human behaviors and the most dangerous of all human behaviors for other humans. Once a person decides they need more than they fundamentally need to survive and live, they become an enemy to all other humans. That's the reality of a world with limited resources.

[@thetravelingkittens1393]

I’m writing a book that touches on this subject!!! Sci fi but reality.

[@ronaldcole7415]

@michaelcoca4902 evolution seems to indicate cooperation was humanities greatest strength.

[@michaeldelgiudice1057]

and most importantly nature. no humans without it.

[@randallstephens1680]

California is the only coastal state in the basin. It has the financial resources, solar resources, and natural resources to get its water through desalination. Let the land-locked states have the Colorado, and force California to use its vast resources to harvest its fresh water from elsewhere.

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

Wrong. The extreme water demand comes from the global gangster capitalists in the agriculture industry. Desalinization for residential use would waste huge amounts of money and solve nothing.

[@49lucky]

I agree

[@henryhenry271]

pump water to arizona and utah with 120 heat to grow water intensive crops. makes sense

[@igaroot]

desal is highly energy intensive - not a sustainable solution check in on Israel - much lower population mostly desal

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

@@henryhenry271 Where else are you going to grow it?

[@larslarsman]

Summer, August 2023, lake Mead is full, Colorado river is running full again.

[@markbosky]

Colorado has had a lot of rain this Summer, enough to take the entire state out of drought, yet I'm sure farmers and municipalities feel they can take even more now. California should be cut completely out of the pact.

[@49lucky]

I agree

[@eleventy-seven]

@@49luckyYou agree that water that comes from North of Nevada should terminate at Vegas? Not your water.

[@rbb.828]

Making agriculture and golf courses work in Arizona deserts is idiotic

[@trollhunter7764]

So why should California be cut out completely when Arizona and Nevada wast 5 times the amount of water? Let's not forget St George Utah and their golf courses and green lawns using 100s of millions of gallons every year.

[@markbosky]

@@trollhunter7764 because California already has boundless resources, especially water. Not to mention that the entire state is growing ridiculously water-intensive, highly profitable crops like nuts in the central valley using free inputs.

[@epnuzuluaga766]

this isnt due to climate change, this is due to people living in these areas... millions more than they can handle.

[@TinShackVideos]

The Colorado River has only reached the sea once (Mar. 2014) in the last 60 years!

[@cehii9514]

Again? Another report ignoring the fact that Colorado is stealing the Colorado river. There are over 400 Tributaries of the Colorado River being diverted away to the eastern side of the Rockies feeding the farms of Colorado. That is over 400 creeks, streams, and rivers diverted from the Colorado River watershed to Denver and its surrounding cities and farms yet no one reports on this major theft. 60 Minutes, you failed! It is surprising that they showed flood irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, the 2 worst and wasteful irrigation types and barely talked about conservation techniques. Not to mention they showed cotton and alfalfa fields, which are the worst water consuming crops. I have never seen anyone eat either of those yet they wanna claim they feed country? They are cash crops and nothing else But while people get all bound up about woke or tRump, they ignore the problems that need to be solved and allow themselves to be distracted enough to continue to steal the wealth of America

[@mikeheath7551]

Nice job! Finally, someone who knows the truth and now the only real question is "why is the corrupt media now gas lighting folks about something that has been going on for well over 50 years?"~! Pretty soon the Americans who have not been paying attention and who still foolishly trust the government and mainstream media will "own nothing and be happy"! Ha! Safe & effective? Not us here my friend! Not a chance~! ;-) Stay safe~!!! M

[@TiffnVA757]

Make it mandatory everywhere to cut off our water when it reaches a certain time. Like they do in Australia. People have to be okay with having water for years & years from now instead of showing for 45 mins today. Make. It. Mandatory!!!

[@jonmunch3298]

Stop filling swimming pools, and watering golf courses, and irrigating crops in the middle of the desert

[@poetmaggie1]

There are tribes in the area without running water, electricity, phone service and they have up to now been denied I hope the tribes who have access remember that.

[@kylebrooks4147]

Farming in a desert and creating cities where water is not locally plentiful is about the dumbest thing humans are doing in 2023.

[@missshroom5512]

Arizona was allowing Saudi Arabia water for over a decade to grow their Alfalfa that went to feed their cows! It got revoked in April2023👍🏼

[@ronj9448]

I can't find that information they were stopped. I did find several articles 7/2023 that state that the Saudis are still doing this. (Esquire and Wash Post). Thanks!

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

Is that true? If not, it needs to be.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

@@ronj9448 Either can I. Where did he get that info from?

[@stevesummers2462]

I love the Great Lakes

[@thepatriot4076]

Be ready to defend our water in the great lakes, the Western States and China want it and I be ready to defend it

[@deanchapman1824]

​@@thepatriot4076agreed!!!! I would've never thought that water would become the most precious resource. I have no sympathy for the people living in those areas. They keep expanding, knowing what the consequences are.

[@Nowseemypoint]

It should be criminal to hold water in water dams and don't let it flow in the river where other countries are hoping and craving for it

[@taylorclark6233]

I mean...how did the farmers not see this as a possible outcome? They farm in the desert

[@Praisethesunson]

They don't care. They will farm things they have no business growing right until they literally can't

[@stevensilver1679]

I'm sure they didn't care.

[@shepherdsknoll]

In California, agriculture accounts for 80% usage of available water, yet, agriculture accounts for less than 3% of GDP. The number one agricultural use in California is alfalfa which goes to feed cows. Agricultural use of water in California will fortunately have a self correcting solution; milk is something like 97% water the other 3% of proteins will be genetically duplicated. Alfalfa and cows will shortly will have far less demand shortly but crops like rice and tomatoes should be grown out of state where there is plenty of water.

[@willapanews9761]

Solar panels over canals might help reduce evaporation of water from the canals and produce electricity?

[@MsNextgeneration12]

Not once was it mentioned about stopping growth in huge cities out in the middle of nowhere. No growth means no taxes for these politicians to enjoy.

[@MrMountainchris]

WHY ARE WE FARMING AND BUILDING GIANT CITIES IN THE DESERT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

[@CHIEF_420]

🇺🇲 = 🙈

[@lordchaa1598]

Growing cotton and alfalfa in the desert is lunacy. What were these farmers thinking? I can grow cotton on my farm on the east coast, without any irrigation, just the rain Mother Nature supplies.

[@2GoodLookin]

Hummmmm. When was this footage take? This year or last? Didn't we just have record rainfall 2 or 3 months ago?

[@ZMAN_420]

60 minutes is one of the best 👍🏻🇺🇲

[@dougfrench8231]

😂

[@andydeniseposey426]

At deception.

[@steveyates1136]

Biased liberal nonsense is all 60 minutes cares about now days. They use to be creditable, now they are laughable.

[@trdoffroadguy1684]

I guess they should have listened to Dr. Carl Sagan in 1985.

[@Rajt828]

Wouldn’t snow cap mountains melting help the water issue?

[@orionhauk]

My mother and father have been in the public water supply district industry since I was 7 years old and my mother eventually became director of the national rural water association which basically tried to keep water rights from being commodified and keep the chemicals out of our water sources. This is pretty much the same conversation I've heard most of my life and I'm 60 years old. Nothing will get done because the media will divert people's attention when it comes time for mega Monopoly corporations to commodify and control the resource. Water is still more Fought over than any other resource such as oil but most people have been taught to ignore such life sustaining vital resource and take it for granted that when they turn the valve the water works. Water infrastructure has been fleeced by politicians and greedy CEOs. The village where migrant workers live who work the agriculture fields in central California that use 100% irrigation don't have any water access and they are not allowed to use any of the Colorado River water that's irrigating the fields that they're laboring in. I have always loved California and that is where my heart is and California people will always be the best people to me but California has been taken over by criminal send to get networks and this Governor is one of the most evil anti-American inhumane criminal people I have ever experienced in my life! This governor and his syndicate crime Bosses have nothing to do with being a liberal, a democrat, a Catholic or a Christian! But the media that they own and control makes you think they do. If people would look at the behavior and actions and results of the politicians and celebrities that they bow down to they would see that it does not match what they say and more importantly what's been programmed into the voters head. Unfortunately when politicians are going after voters using advertising (psychology programming) it's also affecting the people who don't vote and just want to live a simple life without having to work 60 hours a week and have children that don't even know him cuz they have no time to spend with them until there's a shooting at their school and then everybody is allowed 24 hours before they got to go back to their training and their corporate jobs! The blue and red voters just keep voting no matter how messed up their party becomes! HUMANS NEED AIR WATER AND FOOD IN THAT ORDER. THOSE SHOULD BE YOUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES. NOT HOW GOOD YOU LOOK WITH YOUR CLOTHES, OR HOW COOL YOUR CAR SOUNDS, OR HOW MANY FRIENDS YOU HAVE ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT.

[@facitenonvictimarum]

Why write an essay when no one is going to read it?

[@tylerloterbauer3711]

This comment kind of explains the problem. It's in the contradicting labels of the people in that region i.e. Christian/liberal/Democrat. Claiming love for the people that created the abomination this story reports enables their behavior. When things happen in my life that complicate things and result in negative consequences I'm generally told I did it to myself. Many circumstances and influences weigh in on my decisions, but I'm always blamed regardless. I vowed I'd never use the phrase on another, however they are doing this to themselves. One thing I'm conscious of is to never allow my plan to solve my personal problems affect others negatively. Rather then change the ideology and policies that created thier problems, California wants to maintain the course, and expect others to go without, exasperating the problem, and forcing others that made better choices suffer.

[@facitenonvictimarum]

@@tylerloterbauer3711 Another filibuster.

[@richvanevery3]

Well said - thanks for sharing - No reservoirs have been built since the 70s I believe? What a joke… The real story is so different than this climate crisis nonsense

[@juliemunoz2762]

don’t lie. Farm workers have access to water. stop spreading far left lies.

[@jettrink5810]

The problem is the MASSIVE quintoupled growth of cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City due to people fleeing from California and back east. Yes, climate change, yata yata ya, but the (massive) destruction caused from climate change won't be seen until 50 - 100 years from now. The problem we're seeing today is like I said, Phoenix and Las Vegas are like 10x bigger than twenty Years ago. Also, I go waterskiing every year. I go to lake mead. Those "bathtub" rings, i.e. the image of the lake you see where it appears to be super low, well it's always looked like that. I've been going there since '02 '03 ish. So there is a little bit of presentation bias going on.

[@barnabycat7002]

People using the water in California then moving to other places still using the water doesn't change anything. Most people aren't "fleeing" they are retiring there. 50-100 years is not a unfathomably long time and it's not a light switch of change where everything is fine then all of the sudden climate disaster. Lake Mead is one focus but it is not the entirety of the water system. Regardless water levels already trending downward when you first saw rings and surely you've seen them grow after 20 years? 20 years... almost half of 50 years.

[@michaelolson571]

Bingo.

[@palace927]

The destruction of climate change is already here.

[@evequeen8282]

VOTE for politicians who actively talk about climate change and solutions to the many problems we face in the future because of those changes

[@rtschuh2]

Lake Powell is up 35 feet. They failed to report on the effects of VERY WET spring.

[@911jayishsupremacy]

Yup there some greedy Propaganda here as they act like there was no rain or snug over the last season floods.

[@rogerschroeder8905]

Lake Powell is also going down a half foot a day so we can celebrate all that new water until the start of October when California who hasn't built a dam since 1976, steals all that water again. 80% of the water they steal will be flushed into the ocean to protect an invasive species bait fish.

[@candui-7]

The Glen Canyon dam very nearly failed in the '82-'83 El Nino.

[@thepatriot4076]

Yet it's 160 feet below normal so let's try again 😂😂😂😂

[@Mikenorma]

The Rocky Mountains did get above average snow pack this last winter, so it has helped bring up the water levels in the lakes.

[@perry92964]

shhhhh. dont tell anyone else this or you will get a visit from the climate police for thinking against the narrative

[@StephenGillie]

But this video isn't about how the water levels are increasing, instead it's about drought, so your comment is technically off topic. 😁

[@bzdtemp]

A drop in the bucket.

[@brucearterbury1856]

Look up Laguna Salada. When it’s full and evaporating at the fastest rate on the planet, the Colorado River watershed gets 15% more precipitation than years it’s dry. Agrees has a plan to circulate Gulf of California water (9 ft tides) north on the eastern edge of Laguna Salada and back south on its west side. Lake Powell rose 41 ft this year and Lake Mead rose 60 !

[@StephenGillie]

@@brucearterbury1856 So water evaporates at Laguna Salada and then rains down across the Colorado River watershed? Very interesting - and since this area is being drawn downward due to the San Andreas fault, it should be less-complicated to manually flood.

[@bill2fast143]

Lake mead is up over the last month

[@mikem5043]

The river isn't unsustainably low, rather the population is unsustainably high

[@freedomsands8891]

Tell that to Biden so he can stop letting so many people come in like we have unlimited resources..

[@damienturner6368]

....its both....

[@candui-7]

Good point. This is not a water problem.

[@ReginaJune]

I’m concerned also about water temperature and algae if there’s any marine life left still. It’s like dominoes right now.

[@JosephNordenbrockartistraction]

That's impossible to ignore when so many dead fish wash ashore and I'm irritated too that so much methane release from north Russian tundra and shallow ocean shelves now without sea shore ice has even more very bad news being hidden by omission. That much increase in 10 years time is creating ejection craters. not many so far but it started being officially reported.

[@BumbleBees77]

No natural drought but too many humans using water

[@ReviewBoard-uy5nv]

Why do we have basins with NO greenery. No trees, no shrubs, no plants. We have techniques and technology to re-green degraded land and improve water capture. We NEED this done ASAP.

[@randomstuff463]

more green brings more moisture and less desertification

[@COSolar6419]

To have green vegetation in the arid west you need water. Not enough of that falls from the sky. That’s what this is all about.

[@alexburke1899]

The Basin and Range is an enclosed hydrological system. All the water that falls in those mountains stays in those valleys because no rivers leave the Basin and Range. So if things aren’t growing there it’s natural and part of that elevated dry, very hot and very cold ecosystem. It’s not like water is being pumped out of Nevada and nothing grows for that reason it just sucks to be a plant in Nevada.

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

It's called a desert for a reason.

[@carolutley6523]

Regulate and reduce decorative lawns

[@JohnDoe-mg7ky]

Love being in Chicago next to Great Lakes. Hello to my fellow Great Lakes neighborhood lol

[@thepatriot4076]

Be ready to call the militias when the idiots from the West try and steal our water, Ohio will defend Lake Erie to the death

[@jaycup9621]

They shouldn't let anyone move to these states anymore. Let alone companies or even sports teams. They should have a high water tax for eveyone to stop this. I'm glad the massive relocation to Texas and other states has begun.

[@Michilar]

Unfortunately people are also moving in droves to states like AZ.

[@mikethomas7138]

I'm sure some of us in these states could find reasons to ban you from your state....

[@andrewlm5677]

That is a bit of an overreaction. There is a difference between the overuse of water by many huge water consumers (which is what is happening) and having too little water to support residents. People love to do amateurs extrapolation and jump to the catastrophic scenario but the truth is rarely that extreme.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

@@andrewlm5677 Thank you for a rare comment of sanity. You are so dead on with the "extrapolation" part of your comment. The ignorant statements people make...good grief.

[@jamesburge1983]

Just sitting back and enjoying the show. This has been a looming issue for decades, and just as expected, no one has been willing to take any preventative action, until the crisis becomes inevitable.

[@jonbaker3728]

🍿🍿🍿

[@tuckerbugeater]

coward

[@allwheeldrive]

That "action" will be moving millions of people out of the region in a hurry. That, right there, will be the definition of a stupid human moment.

[@jamesburge1983]

@@tuckerbugeater I don't get it, please explain.

[@deanchapman1824]

​@@allwheeldrivepeople are sheep. They go were everyone else goes.

[@melvinrice9078]

The government wants that land. That's what this"crises" boils down to.

[@gamingtonight1526]

You can see why the U.N. has said by 2050 there could be one billion climate refugees moving around the world, with a few million moving from the SW USA to the NE USA, which will cause many problems in the NE!

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

Blow up all the bridges over the Mississippi River while there is still time.

[@thepatriot4076]

We have militias near the great lakes ready to defend our water, good luck

[@liberatedwoman]

Ironically, one of our presidents sent a scientist to study the practicality of agriculture west of the Mississippi River. His research showed “ agriculture was NOT practical west of the Mississippi River due to “inadequate annual rainfall” We should have listened to him. 🙄😩😱😳

[@blitzegron4848]

LOL. So true. Politicians listen to Money and sometimes voters. Not so much logic and data. National Debt?!?!

[@deekang6244]

Why are the farmers just spraying water into the air?

[@Ded-Ede]

The solution is obvious. In times like these we need to plant more shade trees in parking lots, increase drainage land in our concrete jungle, convert our wasteful lawns and backyards to permaculture food forest gardens landscapes with perennial drought and heat tolerant plants to provide shade and food year long for our family, friends and neighbors. It’s healthy and better for us mentality/physically and the environment. You will get your vitamins C from the medicine foods you grown and vitamin D from the sun. :)

[@princetonjoshway4689]

I've said the same with growing crops on lawns.. if were going use water this should be the wat, not watering grass smh

[@he_lives_in_apineapple_und9743]

Most cities and states will not allow this, especially houses with an HOA because it is considered an eyesore/nusance to the public and decreases property values. Major grocery store companies do not like people having gardens in their yards because it takes away from their profit margins so they lobby the cities and counties to ban it.

[@hueyfreeman7010]

Give it 25 years. There won't be a single drop of water left.

[@xxxterm]

The water cycle would disagree

[@yoteslaya7296]

Lol the water just goes elsewhere. You realize the water you're drinking today was the same water dinosaurs drank

[@Dirtygurl4719]

More like 15 pal

[@hueyfreeman7010]

@@yoteslaya7296 in time

[@yoteslaya7296]

@@hueyfreeman7010 nope. Learn science kiddo

[@jtuck07]

Don't mention climate change in this situation... We've known forever that we need to find another way to source the water in this region... And that's not because climate change...

[@StevenAbbott]

Up here in Washington, if you drive through Washington from south to north you will cross the Columbia, Lewis, Coldwitz, Nisqually, Puyallup, Skagit, Skykomish, Noosack, and Snohomish Rivers. Most of that water goes out to the sea

[@jorgerios5719]

Thats how it works lmao

[@dusty7264]

The city of Scottsdale has banned, grass front yards from being planted towards the end of this year. The city of Phoenix is located in Maracopa County and is still one of the fastest growing counties in America. That’s pretty crazy.

[@RobertMJohnson]

Why is it crazy?

[@oldtimergaming9514]

@@RobertMJohnson No water available to sustain it with.

[@dwjoseph59]

Didn't scotttsdale, az havr to cut water off to a neighborhood along the hills/mountains recently?!

[@dusty7264]

@@dwjoseph59 yes, Rio Verde, they were told by the city of Scottsdale twenty years ago that Scottsdale was going to supply them water for a while 20 years I think but they were going to have to figure out where they were going to get their water from, because their was a cut off date. They didn’t do anything about it.

[@dylanfield7098]

Maricopa*

[@therandomthings6933]

Maybe be Missouri River water should be diverted to Colorado river during flood seasons to solve drought situation in western states.

[@williamdriver2883]

I would agree with what they are saying in this report, changes do need to be made. But the irony is with changes to the climate there is actually more water today and even more tomorrow on Earth because the Ice Caps are melting raising sea levels with Fresh Water, not Salt Water. What we have is not enough water in some areas, not less water but actually more water on Earth. We simply need to use ingenuity and knowhow to get water to where it needs to be, otherwise yes, we have a problem.

[@mrmark8603]

Watering lawns should be prohibited.

[@mikethomas7138]

79 percent goes to agriculture, 12 percent to residential, 4 percent to commercial and industrial uses, and 4 percent to thermoelectric power. Sure residential cut back will help, but if we reduce that by 50%, that's a 6% over all savings gain..... that's just not going to do it. You'll have to dig deeper.

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

@@mikethomas7138 12% is accurate for potable usage, but half of that 12% is indoor, and much of that is reclaimed, recycled and returned into the system. I see where Las Vegas reclaims & recycles over 90% of it's indoor usage. So for one, how much more can you cut back with indoor potable usage? It's pretty much already being done. I also see how Nevada(Las Vegas) gets a 1.8% water allocation, and only currently drafting about 2/3rds of that allocation. Their SNWA states their water usage is pretty much split between indoor/outdoor. I'm wasn't a math major, but even if one blade of grass was never watered again, it doesn't appear in the scheme of things it would make much difference based on the numbers I've seen. I also heard a hydrologist with the BOR state..."worrying about lawns & golf courses, is like your doctor worrying about your paper cut while having a gunshot wound to the chest". I think people bring up these thing because they really don;t understand the dynamic.

[@VenomRoadRacing]

Building more houses and farming thirsty crops in a dry region. Not overly smart.

[@viviennemurray9400]

People need to decide whether showering daily is really necessary. A good wash will achieve the cleanliness requirements for civilized living. I shower every 1 - 2 weeks and wash twice a day. It is a great hygiene routine that keeps me clean and able to save many, many litres of water. Personally, I then feel more comfortable watering my vegetable garden. ❤

[@Michilar]

Same with me. My water goes to my plants, which provide shade, food and keep my yard/house cool. I'm planning on a future without water and I'm trying to create a yard with good root systems, so I can capture as much rain as possible, when it does come.

[@TORNTOA]

I’m sure you your co- workers just love your perfume!

[@Michilar]

@@TORNTOA I work from home and I smell fine, thank you.

[@CausticLemons7]

Judging by the comments I think this will be an uphill struggle for all involved. It seems there's little sympathy for those who do not have water living in places defined by their lack of water.

[@deanchapman1824]

That's because these people by and large, left places with a somewhat abundant water supply, to move to places where there's not an abundant water supply. Then they expect to live the same way in the desert/semi-arid places as they did where they moved from. Most did not adapt to the circumstances. It was a conscious decision. That's why there's little sympathy.

[@AdamKazarian]

When you find out after all these years 60 minute specials are only 13 minute long when all the advertising is taken out.

[@scoria1755]

The recent rains are missing because this 60 minutes episode was released on 14 Aug 2022.

[@andydeniseposey426]

60 minutes has an agenda!

[@LK-dx2oq]

We need to build massive desalinization plants and harvest all the water from the ocean that is rising! We have an abundance of water. We need to start using it. I think irrigating dryer places would have a huge impact on bringing down temperatures around the globe while making sure potable water is available everywhere.

[@deborahfox4206]

First of all, farming in the desert is insane (Southern California and Arizona in particular). Secondly, real estate development for a growing population in the west is unrealistic.

[@edwil111]

they grow the US's winter lettuce .

[@Bouncer-id1rh]

Where else are you going to do it? If it's insane, then why are you contributing to it by consuming all that Ag? Over 90% of N. America fruits & veggies produced from Oct-Apr are produced in the growing districts of the Colorado. That doesn't include the rest of the year, or what's produced in Calif's central valley from May-Sept. So what's your plan to replace all that, go back to canning everything during summer and storing it in your newly built fruit/canning cellar the way your grandpappy use to do?

[@xpoorman70]

Old news...this years snows have changed everything. Can't believe y'all thought this story should go out now...

[@Arturo-km3tv]

I live in Colorado. It's been raining here every day. I don't know how.

[@jefffortney4261]

I grew up in Arizona in the 1960s and 1970s. We Arizonans were saying this back during those times.

[@TheGoat29078]

It isn't ravaged by drought, it is suffering through a drought. It is being ravaged by farmers and cities.

[@orangecookie3132]

Lol farmer what you want people not to eat

[@TheGoat29078]

@@orangecookie3132 There are other places to farm other than a desert region. Especially in lower California where the state highly subsidizes the farming.

[@TOPDOLLAR777]

Stop worrying El Niño is happening again back to back years!!!

[@danthomas6587]

And who made the treacherous decision to give our water away to the Saudis? Don't give or sell our water away. We need it and we live here.

[@cowboydipper3051]

As an Arizona resident almost all my life. California needs to get their cuts and they need to actually enforce it that would be a miracle alone or they need to be cut from the Colorado water basin. And that pipeline idea is absolute insanity ohh yea take the water you were allotted at the beginning of a 101 year old agreement thats already in the process of being reworked due to its age and decline of water intakes.

[@igaroot]

can agree about Utah

[@cowboydipper3051]

@@igaroot what about cutting back Cali?

[@jessiecoastaliving]

Why not put limitations on the rich utilizing their private jets? They’ve been flying to everywhere even short distances. Limit the cause in the rich instead of the lower middle class use of water as an effect

[@livelikemateo6951]

Having lived on the Colorado river for many years it has been the most litigated river on earth since I can remember. That’s even before the water shortages. I can only imagine how it is now. The reliance on the river is unsustainable and the river is a National treasure. Drastic action needs to be taken. Southern California uses so much. It would seem plausible to use desalinized ocean water to relieve the strain on the Colorado river. They say ocean levels are rising so it would seem to make sense. Just a thought

[@milt6208]

California is the problem. They steal as much water as they can and lie about it. They truly believe they own that river. And conservation be damned. It costs them to much money so they lie about all the work they have been doing when they can do more conservation but dont.

[@thorium222]

Yes, but desalination costs money and people are used to get Colorado water for free.

[@Think-dont-believe]

@@thorium222then that’s a financial problem not a climate problem..

[@Think-dont-believe]

@@thorium222how much more does desalination cost over water treatment?..

[@Think-dont-believe]

@@thorium222that’s a trick question because they are exempt from reporting

[@dearestdennis]

Start hooking up supply limiters to homes. I bet if people could visually see their remaining allotment on a meter they’d conserve.

[@SunShine-xc6dh]

Homes? Let's start with irrigation ditches and golf courses