The PERFECT Plan to Refill the Colorado River & Save America‘s Lakes | Earth Explained!

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Info:
The Colorado River rises in the Rocky Mountains and flows over 2,300km to the Sea of Cortez. Across seven US states and Mexico, around 40 million people rely on it for water and energy. Now, this is under threat.
Climate change, explosive urban growth, and political wrangling could prove a lethal combination for this great waterway. But can collaborative river management help to save it? We investigate the Yakima Basin’s pioneering approach and how this might avert a Colorado crisis.
In this video, we'll be discussing the Colorado River Conflict, and how it's impacting California and Los Angeles.
The Colorado River is a vital lifeline for both California and Los Angeles, and the conflict over its usage is causing serious problems. We'll discuss what's happening and how you can help out if you're affected by it.
Join us again in two weeks for another environmental story. In the meantime, like and subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode!
Chapters:
00:00 NASA Images: Lake Mead & Lake Powell disappearing
00:52 Please subscribe!
01:02 Sea of Cortez / Colorado River Delta
01:35 New York Times Report on Colorado River Delta
02:08 Rocky Mountains National Park - Headwaters & Denver
03:29 Colorado River - Conflict of interests
04:03 Compact Call - The river compact and its meaning
04:45 Hoover Dam at Lake Mead: the electricity crisis
05:10 Las Vegas & the water police - strict water usage
05:35 Yakima Basin solution: the integrated plan
06:50 Colorado river solution: bring stakeholders together!
🔗 Sources:
(1) NASA | Lake Mead Keeps Dropping: earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ima...
(2) NASA | World of Change: Water Level in Lake Powell earthobservatory.nasa.gov/wor...
(3) NBC NEWS: As Lake Mead Dries Up, Mysteries Are Being Exposed • As Lake Mead Dries Up,...
(4) New York Times | Bringing Back the Colorado River Delta - 2013 | The New York Times: • Bringing Back the Colo...
(5) National Park Service | Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness - • Rocky Mountain Nationa...
(6) Denver7 - The Denver Channel | The Colorado River's 1,400-mile journey through the West, explained - • The Colorado River's 1...
(7) USDA - Colorado River Basin Water Supply & Demand Study | www.crbagwater.colostate.edu/p...
National Park Service | National Parks within DOI's Unified Regions
(8) Utah State Archives | Colorado River Compact Collection archives.utah.gov/digital/col...
(9) Lake Mead & Hoover Dam | www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/20...
(10) Yakima Tieton Irrigation District | www.yakimatietonirrigation.com...
(11) Yakama Nation Fisheries - yakamafish-nsn.gov/
(12) Yakima Basin Integrated Plan - yakimabasinintegratedplan.org/

[@terramater]

🌍 Watch our entire Earth Explained! series: ▶ kzbin.info/aero/PLZ3CjNbCdQe956XnnhX6Nxg24oAcYvgrm

[@briangarrow448]

I have family members and friends who live and work along the Yakima River. I have fly fished in the river many times. I’ve also nearly ran into bighorn sheep rams as they were crossing the road in the Yakima river canyon. Here’s the lesson we can all learn from this- we either work together towards solutions, or our failures will be the bitter destruction of this vital ecological system.

[@earthling_parth]

Also, a big middle finger to all the lawn requirements by HOAs across America and people who actually prefer the most water using resource - lawns everywhere in the world.

[@Goldenwhitewings]

do you actually have to listen to them

[@earthling_parth]

@@Goldenwhitewings I don't know if you live in the US or not, but homeowners in the US do have to obey to HOA rules. If they don't, they can be charged ludicrously high penalties and some might even be forced to sell their homes.

[@eddie8998]

unnecessary agriculture like pistachios has a way bigger impact than lawns. we should be conserving water all we can if we’re able to, but the biggest impact is by big agricultural companies sucking up all the water for their profits, not individual consumer choices.

[@auhsz9140]

@@eddie8998 🎉ban both🎉

[@aick]

That's not even close to the real problem, which is industry, extraction, agriculture, and meat production and a warming climate. But hey, every circus needs a few clowns, Bozo, welcome aboard.

[@AwesomeBrixx]

I like the message behind this video, and I think it was very nicely produced. I would like to mention (and I know you briefly mentioned) that Las Vegas is actually doing pretty well when it comes to water use. They have grown a lot, and have been using the same or less water than before. In addition, they return a lot of the water after being treated back to the colorado river. Finally, they do have stricter rules (as you mentioned) and most people have rock lawns, etc. Overall, nice video.

[@Bogwedgle]

I cannot overstate how many of the USA's water crises could be solved or partially alleviated by just banning lawns and giving out native plant seed instead.

[@DarthObscurity]

Barely any? It would only fix things in California. Most of the country can grow lawns without a single sprinkler.

[@KhanMann66]

Believe me I want to banned lawns altogether. But California is wack in the head so good luck with that.

[@thehoundGOT]

I cannot overstate how many of the USA's water crises could be solved or partially alleviated by just not eating animal products.

[@Bogwedgle]

@@thehoundGOT Oh we know, y'all wont stop stating it.

[@jamestucker8088]

Lawns in the west are a huge waste of water. But 80% of the Colorado's water is used for farming. So getting rid of all lawns and golf courses might cut water use down a few percent. Stop growing cows in the desert would save much more.

[@christopherd6399]

Colorado River is a completely different case then the yakimah. In Washington State, water is usually plentious. Colorado River feeds deserts. And 4 times the population. Colorado River management is pretty close to miraculous.

[@pinkypink5161]

It is, given the current status quo. I'm from the Eastern US so water is never an issue. But when I went to California I was amazed at the number of subdivisions with back east style houses. Nobody is collecting rain water for toilets and showers. (It's usually, if properly installed and maintained, safe to drink straight from the collection container) Too many people pretending they can MAKE the environment.

[@christopherd6399]

@@pinkypink5161 I don't think it rains enough in the desert called California to harvest rainwater. It's actually illegal in Colorado, where I live, because notionally, that water feeds the rivers that feed the dry southwest, including California. It's a bogus claim, because the Colorado River gets most of its water from melting snow. And very few people collected rainwater before it was illegal anyway.

[@pinkypink5161]

@@christopherd6399 There is enough rain. If used intelligently. Ever heard of earthships? I'm not saying everyone in the desert needs to live in one but they operate of the water collected off their houses. And they use septic systems instead of sewers.

[@pinkypink5161]

Most of them are in Taos New Mexico.

[@christopherd6399]

@@pinkypink5161 yes I've researched that a bit. Haven't seen the water connection tho.

[@earthling_parth]

The Yakima basin integrated project was awe-inspiring. Unbelievable work by humans there 👏 Hopefully we can do the same for the Colorado River.

[@TheBooban]

How long will that last? I get so tired environmentalists love these feel good “solutions” but will never admit what the real problem is; people. We are too many! In the end, mother nature will reap her revenge and humans deserve it.

[@aick]

@@TheBooban Oh it's their half-baked "we only listen to other white people" non-solutions as well. No matter how much of the world they screw up with their big dumb projects they always think another big dumb project will save them, they're a childish people who had barely crawled out of their cold European caves 2000 years ago when the Romans civilized them. Meanwhile over here we had plenty of pre-existing land management practices which had endured and kept a healthy couple of continents going for over 100,000 years of hominids in the americas.

[@krista2216]

It was actually possible to bring all relevant parties to the table and have them work together?! This is so beautiful, because this ended up making all uses of the water more efficient! This is exactly what needs to happen, in all cases of competing interests. If all increase efficiency, then all become richer!

[@sentientflower7891]

There are two nations, seven states and a dozen Native American tribes, along with all the farmers, corporations, developers and cities. So maybe not so easy.

[@krista2216]

Oh I know, that's why I was so amazed

[@animehuntress9018]

@@sentientflower7891 He also completely ignored the years of those exact conflict on the Yakima River. Some of those conflicts were downright Hatfield and McCoy worthy.

[@JoeNielsen44]

100%

[@rjung_ch]

The Yakima way sounds like the only way possible, as long as a green lawn or producing nuts is more important to some people, then this won't ever work...hope people start working together to implement a solution for all.

[@MegaSnail1]

I agree....teamwork makes the dream work. Be well and thank you for sharing this critical massage.

[@terramater]

Thanks for watching!

[@buddha2923]

Love these, informational without being another stress inducing video

[@terramater]

We're happy to hear that! Thanks for watching! :)

[@JoeNielsen44]

100%

[@chuckery5177]

Maybe building giant grass suburbs in the desert was a bad idea 🤣

[@brycekirkham6896]

Amazing video! Thank you guys again, loving your content!

[@terramater]

Hi Bryce! Thanks for the kind words!! 🙌

[@brycekirkham6896]

@@terramater no problem!

[@itsins363]

Love the video, very detailed. The Colorado river crisis is theoretically an easy fix with a full supporting cast to fund and allow it. It wouldn't just refill the reservoirs, it would lift water restrictions and make plans to eventually divert to the great salt lakes revival long term. Self desalination aqueducts are a thing. The Colorado river dies in one of the hottest places on earth. It's lost delta flows into one of the warmest bodies of seawater on earth. 60mi north of this is where the gulf of California USED to end. -240ft below sea level the delta created a natural dam. Mother nature practically gift wrapped our solution. It would detox the Salton Sea and give this entire region a massive reservoir to substitute the Colorado river water from below the Parker dam. That's +4b gallons of water per day. +1t per year. Almost 12% of lake Meads total capacity ANUALLY that could be potentially held behind the Hoover Dam. The solution is Mexico. Send $50b to make this mega project happen for the sake of 40m American tax payers like they sent $50b to aid Ukrain and this gets done this decade. The topography of this region couldn't be more perfect and happens to be where MOST of this rivers water is being used. But we would rather go to church and pray for rain/snow 3 states away while we argue with eachother.

[@qualicumwilson5168]

Yes, lower states CAN affect upper states flow but only when less than 75-million-acre feet flow in any 10-year period. That will definitely not happen for at LEAST 5 years, even with 2021 being the second lowest flow of 3.5 million Ac/ft. (the ten-year average has not EVER dropped below about 120 million Ac/ft or 12 million Ac/ft per year on average). The upper states have never used any were near their allotted water rights, which can't be said of the lower basin states. What you should REALLY look into is that the agreement with Mexico, which limits their water to 10% of the flow expires in 2026. Then, if Mexico goes to the international court, they are pretty well guaranteed to be given at LEAST 50% of the normal flow of the Colorado River (the MINIMUM the court has required to cross international borders). THAT is why the feds are getting involved now as, as Dylan said, "the times they are a changing". Want something else to think about? How about the Supreme Court awarding the Gila Indian band 650,000 Ac/ft of water and this water was taken away from California, which has leased it from Az. Funny and completely coincidentally, I am sure, that happen just a few MONTHS before all this talk about the Colrado River water flow started. Look up "the Arizona Water Settlement Act (AWSA) of 2004" which sounds nice until you realize it was in response to the supreme court REQUIRING the Gila Indians be given half the flow of the Gila River. Interesting reading, I say.

[@kuitaranheatmorus9932]

Yet again another really good TM video Hope y'all are still having a good day

[@terramater]

Hi, Kuitaran(! We're happy to hear that! Thanks for watching! :)

[@rustix3]

0:08 "or Lake Powell" Actually what is shown in the picture(comparing two satellite photos from 1984 and 2020) is Aral Sea, and not the Lake Powell. The source in the left bottom [2] is referring to NASA's photos of Lake Powell, but this photo is not from there. I googled "Aral Sea 1984" and found this exact picture in the Forbes article called "Google Earth's New Timelapse Feature Lets You See How Our Planet Has Changed In Four Decades". The description of the picture says "A timelapse look at the changing Aral Sea, Kazakhstan. The lake was once the world’s fourth largest". Feels like a misleading photo, even though it was there for a short period. Would be nice if the Aral Sea got a mention there too, as it's also a good example.

[@thethegreenmachine]

It would definitely help if everyone acted like adults.

[@blunzengrostl5899]

Oh nice! perfect upload timing for lunch break. :)

[@terramater]

Hi Blunzengröstl! We're happy to hear that! Bon appetit!

[@nandinim5500]

Hey thanks for the video! Would like to know more about Yakima River Plan and the collaboration.

[@thegiggler2]

The water sent to Mexico just dries up in the desert. Great use of it!

[@larrydavidson1838]

Beautifully done. Thank you for this very interesting report.

[@terramater]

Hi Larry! Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@JohnJBrowne11209]

Las Vegas actually gives you a small stipend to use desert plants rather than grass in your lawn

[@amarrajkovic4121]

Der Sprecher ist cute und der Inhalt gut und leicht verständlich rübergebracht. Top!

[@terramater]

Hi Amar! We're happy to hear that!

[@kerrymarris4260]

smart idea, good luck with getting everyone on board.

[@tsvetomilsemkov2527]

Thank you for the amazing content, guys ! Keep growing :))

[@terramater]

Hi, Tsvetomil! We're happy to hear that! Thanks for watching! :)

[@Jun31719]

you need to see a bigger picture. The households demand of water in south-west region is not significantly a lot. In fact, the southwestern households use less water than the national average. The biggest demands of water come from agriculture sectors. California's agricultural outputs are among the national top 3. This is highly lucrative business. In other words, it is nearly impossible to reduce water consumption from the beginning if you don't want to hurt agricultural sectors.

[@DarthObscurity]

Right, because growing water intense almonds in the middle of the desert is a good use of water. Lmfao.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@@DarthObscurity You should educate yourself about what constitutes desert. Desert by one definition receives less than 10 inches of rain per year. Most almond orchards are located in the central valley in California and that area gets 20 inches of rain fall on average which means you can't call it desert!! And there are also many almond orchards north of Sacramento which is not desert.

[@Aidan_Au]

Thanks Tarra Mater for making this video from Vienna. I did subscribe! Still looking forward to your video on Phoenix, Arizona

[@terramater]

Hi, Aidan! We're happy to hear that! Thanks for watching! :)

[@umendrasinha3109]

It gives me hope, and i will save my environment

[@terramater]

💪💪

[@umendrasinha3109]

@@terramaterAre you aware of the situation of environment in India. It would be interesting for you to know how such situations are dealt with in developing countries.

[@jan-eric6762]

Nice video as always!

[@terramater]

thanks!

[@terramater]

Thanks, Jan!!!

[@danr1920]

The Colorado River isn't the Yakama River. It's wetter in the Yakama River Basin. The Colorado River everyone has to give a lot. That means huge cuts in farm production. The laws don't work. Doing those "warm fuzzies" in the Colorado River simply won't work.

[@hunterhq295]

Hope to see future updates

[@Ldawg42069]

it’s actually ya-kuh-muh rather than ya-key-ma

[@jokers7890]

It's Yack-ah-mah.....not ya-key-ma

[@chris222233]

So take the same principal they use on each town and use it on a global scale. Every country that’s closest to the North Pole should be held more accountable to keeping it cooler. We can do that.

[@Strider1954]

Those aren't lakes, they are reservoirs, America's lakes are the Great Lakes and they aren't drying up. One solution that should be mandated in the southern basin is shielding the diversion canals from the sun. Best cover I've heard of is solar panels. The best of both worlds, water and electricity.

[@joshuajones5351]

awesome work

[@terramater]

Hi, joshua! We're happy to hear that! Thanks for watching! :)

[@rednecksamurai]

Its worth a shot considering the alternatives. Lets give it a try and actually green the desert!

[@SkotiM]

Good quality sewage treatment to enable waste water to be returned to the river and ending mass migration would pretty much solve this problem. Great video though.

[@Anonymous-rz7cn]

Thank you 🥰

[@terramater]

You're welcome :)

[@SchnippiTheCat]

nice! the Yakima-way

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

One thing that one has to get to right to do video on the Colorado River concerns is to first get the underlying figures correct. While 375 m figure (1230 ft) for the maximum water of Lake Mead is correct the 270 m figure is not. 270 m is 885 ft which is not the minimum power pool as stated in the video. 270m is actually 3 m BELOW dead pool when weather can no longer flow through the same. Minimum power pool is actually 289 m or 950 ft. That is the lowest point when the last of the most efficient turbines can function.

[@KJSvitko]

Every home and business should install a rain water collection and storage system along with solar panels. Even in areas where rain is infrequent it is crazy to waste the little rain that does fall and waste it. We need to stop planting green lawns and switch to local native plantings around homes. It is crazy to plant lawns and build golf courses in dry desert areas. We waste too much water and electricity.

[@tyqwanpettty6843]

Beautiful

[@ConstantChaos1]

Honestly the water management system needs to be converted to percentages and we need a minimum output level that caps claims to the water, we need to ensure like at least 10% or something leaves the nation (and we need to work the native nations into this too)

[@chrisconklin2981]

Good presentation. It would be nice that everyone worked together to solve the problem. Utah is not a good player. St. George in the southern part of the state want growth, green lawns, and golf courses. Wester agriculture uses more water than they should. Case in point, too much alfalfa farming is grown for export.

[@tuberNunya]

Not by Americans. It is the arabs who have purchased irrigated alfalfa land for their own cows.

[@benmcreynolds8581]

This is why we need to invest in modern advanced nuclear energy options. Small form reactors, LFTRs, Thorium Reactors, liquid reactors. Utilizing our advanced modern technology, engineering, material science, safety measures understandings and designs, computer technology, robotics, It will really allow any nation to be pretty much be energy independent. Less reliant on fossil fuels. They'll have efficient, stable electrical grids and the rest of the grid could experiment with alternative power sources, etc. We need to heal from the trauma of our past and see that it came solely from Us not understanding what we were doing, not have advanced enough technology, material science, engineering, safety measures, understanding of how to go about everything, etc. This source of energy will greatly help the world improve towards the future and lowering emissions more than anything else could while having a very stable electrical grid system. Currently we have alternative energy options but the majority of our grid is powered off of fossil fuels and emission producing sources of energy. We will be so much better going forward commiting to modern advanced nuclear energy options. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ {I truly believe, The more our surroundings flourish, the more we all flourish.} With how bad I've been seeing "water level/droughts" in the Western America lately. I really hope we not only reintroduce Beavers all over I hope we actively do cloud seeding to influence more rain to such important area's that supply crops, deal with forest fires, & are running out of water. We've really messed up natural waterways from hydroelectric. Ecosystems and biodiversity, water oxygen, carbon levels, algae blooms, nutrient flow from inland location to off shore location. In some areas like where I live in NW Oregon, rivers are a direct connection from the ocean to the inland ecosystems and how both those ecosystems can flourish which directly connects to our qualities of Life. Our natural waterways are crucial aspects of the entire overall health of every aspect of that environment and anything that environment connects too. In Oregon, we had some of the best Salmon runs on the planet and lush inland forests, wetland ecosystems, beaver's that created special habitats/fire safety and all that got totally flipped upside down from all the hydro dams they built in the early 1900s, and many other practices we once commonly did. Before we knew or understood the effects and outcomes that comes from them. So I really hope to see tons of projects that are working on rewilding areas for the sole purpose of reestablishing ecosystem's that once flourished. Because Humans inherently do better when their environment is doing better. It provides a ton of benefit to it's people and to the quality of Life as a whole for not just humans but the entire ecosystem around you which will definitely have positive impacts to so many layers to people's life's and your community as a whole. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[@RT-gq3bh]

Good video and good information. Unbiased narrator just stating facts that you don’t hear in the news.

[@terramater]

Thank you for the feedback and for watching our videos :)

[@dns0095]

Some people be like "climate change happens all the time🥴"

[@stevebennett9839]

I never understood y they decided to build Las Vegas in the desert. I live in western PA, we don't have water problems plus I have well water. Thank u Terra Mater for another great video. If ur reading this and ur not subscribed u need too. This channel always has awesome videos.

[@nicolasnamed]

Cheap land, probably

[@sentientflower7891]

Las Vegas existed before the dam.

[@stevebennett9839]

@@sentientflower7891 ok, but still how close is the nearest natural flowing River or lake to Las Vegas? I'd bet not too close. I understand they didn't LV would b as popular as it is when they first started building. Idk maybe I'm way wrong It just doesn't make sense to me.

[@sentientflower7891]

@@stevebennett9839 Las Vegas was located at a natural fresh water spring.

[@williamlloyd3769]

Las Vegas was just a steam train water / coal stop. Turned out location was within driving distance of Los Angeles, land was cheap, gambling was allowed, prostitution was legal at the time, and local government was supportive of development. PS - Yakima basin is still a work in progress and hopefully it will succeed. PS2 - this video was way too simplistic

[@williamemrich9349]

The water useage could be managed better. By using the water from the Missouri River to bring to Denver on one side of the continental divide. And to the other side to the Colorado river.

[@kendallkahl8725]

We don't need private pools and we don't need lawns but we do need food. We do need food in the winter especially and desert farmers are highly productive. Water for pools and lawn use needs to be taxed at a higher rate and cost for permits need to shoot up too. Farmers are switching to drip irrigation and doing their part.

[@alexkitner5356]

"Yes, the scale is much different..." You said it right there. The issue is so much larger and involves so much more money that its all but delusional to think that conservation on the levels needed to fix the Colorado will happen willingly. This isn't threatening the minimum flows for salmon migration and for that matter doesn't come with the added economic value of saving that fishery. This is a point where the sacrifice needed to make the numbers balance is nearly as bad as the alternative of losing the water and power in many of the areas that would have to make that sacrifice for this to work. Things will continue as this system has in essence painted itself into a corner, either the drought will subside massively or the dams will stop generating, the area reliant on it will be forced to shrink because of it and eventually the impact will push people away until a balance is reached. It will be an economic disaster and the loss of property value will leave millions bankrupt and homeless, destroy lenders, and be felt far from the Colorado but its the realistic scenario.

[@lawerancelanham]

They really need to plant a given width tree line down the sides of all these massive irrigation ditches that transport the water. Just to mitigate a bit of evaporation with some shade. And what does go up... would be partially caught and dripped off the leaves if not consumed by said vegetation.

[@blank.9301]

Ecosia 👍🌱🌳

[@shepdogsd]

It is more water efficient for people to live in Las Vegas instead of San Diego or LA. Las Vegas recycles 99% of its indoor water back into Lake Mead. Furthermore, Nevada's share of the Colorodo is only 4%, which they are consistently below. Most of the water goes to farms in the HOT Coachella and Imperial valley farms in California. See satellite view of Salton Sea area...all that green is from the Colorodo.

[@skpjoecoursegold366]

that's Yak-i- ma.

[@knigi99]

Hot diggity dam! Or dams? Love it. Gimme more Terramatters!

[@HazeOfWhearyWater]

Good luck!

[@rodrigofajardo630]

not sure about so perfect

[@JK_Senyo]

The recent Southpark movies explain this best. "Peepe" has a fantastic solution to the problem though.

[@mgreg8134]

I don't expect you to know this because you don't live here but it is pronounced yak-uh-maw we have a lot of indigenous names for cities and places in Wa, Some are harder than others to pronounce. The one people have the most trouble with is Puyallup (pyoo-al-uhp) the name of one of the tribes and also a city in Wa.

[@philipalcazar]

Thanks, M Greg! I really appreciate this feedback. I realized that I totally butchered that pronunciation after recording the video. I did not mean any disrespect - my sincere apologies for my European ignorance. In any case, the pronunciation and origin of names and regions not only in WA but throughout the American continent is fascinating!

[@northamericanintercontinen3207]

Oh I love this real middle finger to the HOAs and Republicans hope my fellow golfers can take note

[@pavlovssheep5548]

similar things happening with the Euphrates

[@CVA34WestPac]

The demand for water in the Colorado river basin has exceeded the supply. Because mistakes were made back in the 1930s when the dams were built on just how much water was flowing in the Colorado river. The rainfall and snowfall totals each year have remained about the same on average. We all depend on the food that is grown in the southwest. But something needs to be cut and agriculture is going to have to be cut back in Arizona and California. Because we can't force people to leave AZ, CA and NV. The Federal government might be able to control the population growth some how.

[@terramater]

population control is obviously a very difficult and controversial topic. however, controlling and managing agriculture to make it more efficient with a more sustainable use of water is definitely possible and beneficial for all stakeholders.

[@herodbenzie7400]

Need to funnel a small portion of Mississippi river

[@aghyaat2625]

Every friday teramatter! 👍

[@jayc222]

Not sure why they put Salt Lake City in the CO River watershed. It’s water shed comes from the Great Basin side of the continental divide, which runs into the Great Salt Lake (not the Gulf of CA). That’s an entirely different ecological crisis separate from the one in the CO River Basin.

[@terramater]

You’re totally right! We made a whole video about it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqfWgKeDrL-mpJY

[@safari338]

Don’t diss on vegas there probably the most water conscious city in the US. Every drop they use gets treated and sent back to the river

[@CSCharlesIV]

Quién le pone el cascabel al gato? 😅

[@alexandraborlina9517]

At the end of July 2022, water levels in Lake Mead are at their lowest since the building of Hoover Dam in the 1930s, continuing a 22-year downward trend.

[@obiwan2112]

How about if we start by ripping out the huge pipes that are diverting water from the west side of the Continental Divide to Denver?

[@tuberNunya]

Here we have a desert born foreigner that appears to be an academic, 1000 miles from the Colorado river. If we can't teach him to shave, how can we teach him about water,

[@InciniumVGC]

What is it specifically that Yakima did, this sounds vague.

[@rl9808]

Divert the end of the columbia river to ca and ca can discontinue using Colorado river water.

[@crazyone1067]

This is great and all, but greed will always prevail. Mankind can never get on the same page, even for the greater good.

[@davidhoffman6391]

Bring it down from Alaska; the Yukon, the Mackinsey rivers. It's called NAWAPA from the 60's.

[@blue7lvn245]

do europeans have deeper voices, the bass is off the charts

[@uggali]

Could go the Whanganui way and give the river itself rights

[@weldenjon]

The problem is not the lawns or the millions of households using the water. Tear up all the grass and push water conservation to the millions of metropolitan users and there will still not be enough water if the mega drought in the Southwest continues. The main consumers are the farmers which are mostly in California and Arizona. Whoever thought that a desert could be irrigated indefinitely from a water source totally dependent on snow and rainfall?

[@jamesbohlman4297]

How much energy and capital can people, who say they care for the Colorado River, put back into it?

[@bingbongmcgee]

What is his accent? I've heard many with the same vocal style but I have never been able to place a region or origin with the sound...

[@philipalcazar]

I'm Austrian. 😉

[@bingbongmcgee]

@@philipalcazar Oh cool! I thought you said Australian for a second and was VERY confused 😅

[@apuquaester]

Yak-i-maw

[@shepdogsd]

The Coachella and Imperial Valleys are only 100 miles from the gulf of California. Build a pipeline to the ocean to recharge the Salton Sea and avoid an ecological disaster. And the farms are BELOW sea level. Desalination plants around the Salton Sea powered by SAFE meltdown proof next generation nuclear reactors (molton salt are other safe nuclear) that use up the nuclear waste from OLD nuclear reactors is my solution. That water will be for the farms, then there is plenty left over for other Colorodo stakeholders.

[@dochdaswars]

Yakima is pronounced [Yak-ə-ma] with the stress on the first syllable.

[@badpiggies988]

This is what happens when everyone just ignores the PNW most of the time. They miss out on what are some great solutions. (Then again, the Yakima solution was between two very similar states and several tribes, all of whom can agree on things more easily than a bunch of drastically-different southwestern states that all hate each other)

[@TheyCallMeNewb]

Where in the world did you get this great abundance of water-related footage!? Some of those empty river shots appear utterly forlorn.

[@mikefowler301]

It's not Yakeema it's Yak I ma I grew up in Yakima.

[@creestee08]

i didnt know House became younger and is now making youtube videos.

[@dougbillman2333]

The mighty Mississippi River…… big muddy…..

[@dougbillman2333]

Shipping has almost stopped…..

[@nordicvolkan8589]

👍 👍

[@_robustus_]

Until we take on the corporate farms of the region, there will be no significant change.

[@alejandrolopniet836]

7 states plus México ?? What water are you giving to México lier. ??

[@melissapyle7879]

Lesson learned. Don't built big cities in places without water..

[@terramater]

When you put it like that, it sounds not complicated

[@melissapyle7879]

Ik. Sorry. This subject is a touchy one for me. It really bothers me..

[@terramater]

We totally get you!

[@OssamabinKenny]

Sooo, what’s a River?!

[@audenharper3014]

let me get this straight, so this video's explanation of a plan to "Save America's Lakes" is to make a plan of a plan based off other people's plans 😅

[@christopherd6399]

YA-ki-mah. Not Ya-KEE-mê. Good video tho

[@dougbillman2333]

Mississippi River, check that out….

[@leftysmalls]

Oh man, dude totally butchered “yakima” but we still love you!!

[@terramater]

🤭