Water Crisis in the Southwest Region of the US - Case Study Example

Introduction The water crisis in Southwest region of United s is centered on river Colorado. This river is important in that it is always the “lifeline of the arid Southwest” ( Weaver par. 1). There are about seven states that rely on river Colorado for survival and they include California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming and Colorado. In addition, the river serves the water needs of more than forty million people in major cities in Southwest region such as hot, thirsty cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation par. 8). Also, many farmers in the Southwest region rely heavily on river Colorado for irrigation. This paper will explore the issue of water shortage problem in the Southwest, what the future holds, and what can be done. Water Scarcity and causes Drought is the major cause of water shortage in the region. It has resulted in reduced low snowpack in the mountainous areas, temperatures have risen over 110 degrees increasing the rate of evaporation (Weaver par. 1). In addition, the Colorado water crisis has been enhanced by an increase in demand. Because of warmer temperatures in the region, millions of people have been moving into the region to enjoy it. In addition, they have built swimming pools and planted grass parks that require a lot of water. Forests acts as water catchment areas, however, in recently forest in the southwestern part of United States have been burnt by wildfires (fraser 3). In fact, the total area consumed by fire since the 1970s to the present is more than 10,000 acres. In addition, the costs incurred on fighting and suppressing wild fire is more than $3 billion a year. With this, it is evident that wild fires have been contributing factors towards climate change in the region. Water shortage problem The region relies on two reservoirs which receive water from river Colorado: Lake Mead, which serves big cities such as Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and Lake Powell, which serves the upper Colorado basin. The biggest challenge is that now more than ever, the amount of water supplied by river Colorado to the reservoirs has reduced drastically. Furthermore, the volume of Lake Mead is expected drop significantly due to reduced inflow of water ( Weaver 3 ). With this, more than one million homesteads are likely to be affected negatively. To bring all into perspective, Mead is the largest reservoir not Justin the Midwest, but also across the country and for the last fourteen years, it has lost nearly 20 cubic kilometers of water. The worrying thing is that the reservoir only holds close to 35 cubic kilometers of water. Other findings indicate that from 2004 to 2013, about 65 cubic kilometers of water had been exhausted from groundwater supplies (Hudson 4-5). This therefore, means that the underground water supplies of river Colorado has been reduced more than half. What the future holds A number of studies have been carried out to unravel the future prospects of the water situation in Southwest. The studies have been centered on the water shortage, from the current situation to about one hundred years from now. Climate change, in this case, is only viewed as an aggravator and not the major cause of water shortage in Southwest region. According to some of the studies carried out, between 2010 and 2110, the Southwest region is likely to utilize close to 1.3 million acre feet of groundwater. In other words, when the rate at which the population is growing is put into consideration, in the next 100 years, the region will have a shortage of about 1.8 million acre feet ( Weaver par. 7). Many studies have actually tried to put the shortage and associated impact of water in the Southwest region in economic terms. They have even related the crisis to the amount of money that will be spent to arrest the situation in future. including impacts associated with climate change, they project that it will cost about US$4 billion dollars. Solutions Different studies have suggested various solutions to the water problem facing the Southwest region. Some of these methods are: 1. Desalination Studies indicate that Las Vegas could be forced to set up an expensive desalination plant to utilize water from the Pacific Ocean ( Barnett 67). Although the plants are expensive, these plants will help ease the serious problem of water shortage in the region. 2. Pipelines Research has also indicated that the best way forward is for the affected states to build offshore aqueducts. These facilities would run under the Pacific Ocean right from River Columbia River, to the Southwest ( Bickford 5). The rationale here is to reduce lost through evaporation as pipes pass under the ground. 3. Importation of Water Importation of water has been suggested as one of the most likely solutions to the problem in the Southwest region ( Barnett par. 4). Some similar parts of the world usually import water through ships. The studies indicate that affected states should consider employing such methods to transport water from Alaska to the affected areas such as the Southwest and California. 4. Kill Shrubs The study also looked at the effectiveness of trees planted a long river Colorado to stabilize its banks. In as much as they serve to stabilize the banks of river Colorado, a single can absorb more than 200 gallons of water daily. Therefore, they are not recommended around catchment areas. 5. Conservation Researches into the challenges facing the Southwest region have held one thing in common-Conservation of water that is available. According to studies, conservation should not be an option as it is not cheap to develop new supplies. Suggested methods of conservation include collecting or harvesting overflow from storms ( Weaver par. 5 ). The studies indicate that the best solution is via restricting the way people use water in the region. Studies indicate that the restrictions should be directed towards urban areas and the agricultural sector. In the context of farming, the studies show that farmers usually waste a lot of water growing low value crops, thus, they should change to high value crops that utilize less water. Already, some states have embarked on some processes that will help salve the situation. Farmers in places such as Arizona are employing laser technology to maintain their fields flat in order to reduce surface run off water. State of Arizona, in general consumes much less water similar to the volume consumed in the mid 1950s. The state of Nevada has adopted the new technologies for recycling used water (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation par. 6). In fact, all used water particularly by tourists in hotels is usually recycled for future use. State of Nevada is as well digging a new pipe flowing into Lake Mead. On the other hand, the authorities in San Diego are trying to set up a desalination plant. A world without Water In the film, water is depicted as the most valuable resource. The film indicates that if privatization of water resources is not stopped, there will be dire consequences. It indicates that because of this issue; close to one billion people across the globe don’t have access to safe water. In addition, in the film is indicated that close to four thousand children die every as a result of lack of access to clean or adequate water. Blue Gold: World Water Wars Based on the film, the future is will be characterized many wars and most of which will be fought over water resources. The aspect of human survival is slowly creeping into the political field as and international marketplace. Many people including companies and private entities want to control this precious resource. One thing learnt from the film is that, past civilizations have collapsed as a result of poor process of managing their water resources. Conclusion The Southwest Region of United States is facing water crisis. The region depends on river Colorado and yet the river is fast disappearing from the world map. In addition, underground reservoirs that serve the region are also drying up very fast. However, studies indicate that the situation can be arrested through conservation. Globally, many people die everyday due to lack of sufficient or clean water. Works Cited Barnett, Cynthia. Blue revolution: unmaking Americas water crisis. 2011: Beacon Press, Boston. Print. Bickford, M. The impact of the geological sciences on society. Boulder, Colorado: Geological Society of America, 2013. Print. fraser, caroline. "Megadrought in U.S. Southwest: A Bad Omen for Forests Globally." 20 June 2013. 4 November 2014 . Hudson, Catherine. "Colorado River Basin sees severe groundwater depletion." 24 September 2014. 4 November 2014 . U.S.BureauofReclamation. "Satellite Study Reveals Parched U.S. West Using Up Underground Water." 24 July 2014. 4 November 2014 . Weaver , Frances. "The unprecedented water crisis of the American Southwest." 1 February 2014. 4 November 2014 . Read More