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Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012 | 2 a.m.
The federal government has come up with dozens of ways to enhance the diminishing flow of the Colorado River, which has long struggled to keep seven states, including Nevada, and roughly 25 million people hydrated. Among the proposals in a report by the Bureau of Reclamation, parts of which leaked out in advance of its expected release this week, are traditional solutions to water shortages, such as decreasing demand through conservation and increasing supply through reuse or desalination projects. But also in the mix, and expected to remain in the final draft of the report, is a more extreme and ...
As a longtime advocate of diverting what would be excessive flood waters of the Midwest to serve the West, this is a positive step forward. Years of conversing with water experts tells me that moving this water along a path of Highway 40 east to west is far better, and would directly serve states that experience seasonal drought demands (as Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona) en route.
A project as this would put Americans to work, increase demand for American made/manufactured durable goods as construction equipment, pipe and fittings, safety equipment, specialized training, and other ancilliary services. This would be a real "shot in the arm" for many unemployed Americans.
Also what needs to be stipulated, is requiring recipient states and their communities strict SUSTAINABLE growth initiated by local Planning Commissions. Our society needs to exercise restraint in how it expands into UNdeveloped areas, and should build only by recycling previously used parcels, installing conservation and energy smart devices that enhances sustainable living for occupants.
Projects as these improve the lives of millions, and have a positive economic effect. The converse would be communities growing stagnant and having people leave, take flight, due to lack of water. No community, no business, can grow and prosper when water is absent.
Blessings and Peace,
Star
They should put more effort into making desalination more cost effective and pump it from the West Coadt!
China is already doing the same thing from the south to the north.
Why is it that the US is always way behind other developed countries that have national healthcare, 8 weeks vacation, job security, good pensions, better education, and a better quality of life? And, where rich people pay a lot more taxes and there is much less disparity of wealth.
We used to build canals and waterways. Now we just sit around and argue because of special interests.
The long term viability of the US and its people is irrelevant to these special interests because all they are interested in "their" today. The 99% be dammed.
I don't see this being even discussed until drought conditions in the missisippi ease. How are we coming with our north-to-south inner-state pipeline?
Doesn't the LV SUN have an updated photo of the Hoover Dam bypass bridge. I could have sworn the bridge was completed, opened and being used these days. The photo displayed looks to be that bridge in partial construction.
Living upstream from the Grand Coulee Dam as I do and being the beneficiary of inexpensive public power, irrigation and public infrastructure I am not adverse to big public projects. With that caveat I have to ask who pays and how will we pay. When I lived in Las Vegas I was fortunate to live on an ancient [by LV standards] property with its own well, so I had big, thirsty tree and a nice shaded lawn. Folks who had to pay for water were screaming bloody murder at the proposed cost of a much shorter pipeline. I can't imagine that folks from Denver and the Front range would treat this any differently. With growing populations maybe it's time for some severe planning. zoning and building codes.
This is way to funny to believe. States along the Missouri are already arguing over the water so they would divert the water west? LOL
There's no problem. The incompetent leaders in Henderson are allowing the connected home builders around Gibson and Horizon Ridge to start building hundreds of new homes. Right now. So they'll soon be sucking out thousands of gallons of water from Lake Mead. Thanks, Mayor Andy and the City Council...
<<As a longtime advocate of diverting what would be excessive flood waters of the Midwest to serve the West, this is a positive step forward>>
@Star:
What "excessive flood waters"? In case you didn't read about it, between the mild winter, ie no snow, and waterless summer, ie no rain, the area is still in a drought mode. There was barely enough water to keep the farmers' fields viable this past year. It's important to keep those fields watered, you know - so you can have food on your table.
@deserteagle:
Excellent point and far more doable.
@Rusty57:
Another excellent point. The underground water level in the Midwest near the Mississippi is down to almost nothing. As much as I hate to say it and will curse every day it happens, we need snow this winter, lots of it, to help replenish the water levels.
I don't see this as a very viable option any time soon. I drive across the Missouri River every day and the river is as low as I have ever seen it. Barge traffic near the Omaha, NE area is completely shutdown likely until spring and that is only if the mountains get a big snow fall and fills up the reservoirs up north. I think pumping water from the ocean and desalinization would be a better option (I hear the oceans are rising at an alarming rate anyways...lol)
For years now the Mississippi River has been experiencing history-setting low levels, making it difficult for barges loaded with consumer products and commodities to navigate its distance. Now, there is consideration to build a pipeline to siphon off some of those waters westward so we can keep farms in California, fountains at the Bellagio, the lake at "Lake Las Vegas", and swimming pools in our neighborhoods operating? Am I the only one thinking of the insanity? Why is it that desalination works in Saudi Arabia but not in California?
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/us-army-c...
@Ibfromlv
Saudi Arabia has unlimited oil dollars to finance desalination plants. It is extremely energy intensive and thus expensive in general. Can you imagine the cost using "green energy" sources and unions labor? We may as well start trying to mine ice from asteroids.
OR... you can prohibit new homes from having lawns and phase out ones that do. That'll probably solve most of the problem.
We could conserve more, but like NV Energy we'd just be charged more for using less. On top of that the toilets and washers installed in homes are made with old technology. Toilets that use air compression have been around for at least 10 years in Europe along with front loading washers. None of which are installed in new home construction. Small steps make a big impact.
You could start by getting rid of all of the ridiculous golf courses and manicured lawns.