", Westford of Southern California's Metropolitan Water District agreed. Those will require sacrifices, no doubt but not as many as building a giant pipeline would require, experts said. YouTube star and Democratic political novice Kevin Paffrath proposed the Mississippi River pipeline last week during a debate among candidates seeking to replace Gov. These realities havent stopped the Wests would-be water barons from dreaming. "Recently I have noticed several letters to the editor in your publication that promoted taking water from the Mississippi River or the Great Lakes and diverting it to California via pipeline or . John Kaufman, the man who proposed the Missouri River pipeline, wants to see the artificial boundaries expand. The Colorado River is drying up. People need to focus on their realistic solutions.. Not mentioned was the great grand-daddy of all schemes for re-allocating water, known as the North American Water and Power Authority Plan. Additionally, building large infrastructure projects in general has become more difficult, in part thanks to reforms like the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires that detailed environmental impact statements be produced and evaluated for large new infrastructure projects. Famiglietti saidit's time for a national water policy, not to figure out where to lay down hundreds of pipesbut to look comprehensively at the intertwining of agriculture and the lion's share ofwater it uses. And there are several approved diversions that draw water from the Great Lakes. Any water diversion from the Mississippi to Arizona must be pumped about 6,000 feet up, over the Rockies. If officials approve this, the backlash willresult in everyone using as much water as wecare to. Specifically, start with a line from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River at Lake Powell, where a seven-state compact divvies up the water. Arizona and Nevada residents must curb their use of water from the Colorado River, and California could be next. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. Clouds of birds hundreds of species live in or travel through Louisianas rich Atchafalaya forests each year, said National Audubon Society Delta Conservation Director Erik Johnson. And several approved diversions draw water from the Great Lakes. Talk about a job-creating infrastructure project, which would rivalthe tremendous civilengineering feats our country used to be noted for. "I don't think that drought, especially in the era of climate change, is something we can engineer our way out of.". Last time I heard, we are still the United States of America.". As zany as the ideas may sound, could anywork, and if so, what would be the costs? All rights reserved. The conceptsfell into a few large categories: pipe Mississippi or Missouri River water to the eastern sideof the Rockies or to Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border, bring icebergs in bags, on container ships or via trucks to Southern California, pump water from the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest to California via a subterranean pipeline on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, or replenish the headwaters of the Green River, the main stem of the Colorado River, with water from tributaries. This One thousand mile long pipeline could move water from the Eastern USA (Great Lakes, Ohio River, Missouri River, and Mississippi River) to the Colorado River via the Mississippi River. Pitt, who was a technical adviser on Reclamation's2012 report,decried ceaselesspipeline proposals. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. The federal Water Conservation Bureau gave approval Tuesday to piping 440 billion gallons of water per month to Arizona. As politicians across the West confront the consequences of the climate-fueled Millennium Drought, many of them are heeding the words of Chinatown and trying to bring in outside water through massive capital projects. So come on out for the plastic Marilyn on our dashboard, and stay for the stupendous waste of water, electricity and clean air. An in-depth feasibility study specifically on pumping Mississippi River water to the West hasnt been conducted yet to Larsons knowledge. Asked about a Mississippi River pipeline or other new infrastructure to rescue the Colorado River, federal and state officials declined to respondor said there was no realistic chance such a major infrastructure project is in the offing. Dothey pay extra for using our water? Kaufman is the general manager of Leavenworth Water, which serves 50,000 people in a town that welcomed Lewis and Clark in 1804 during the duo's westward exploration. California Gov. Trans-national pipelines would also impact ecological resources. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, prodded by members of Congressfrom western states, studied the massive proposal. At comment sessions on Colorado's plan, he said, long-distance pipelines wereconstantly suggested by the public. Specifically, start with a line from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River at Lake Powell, where a seven-state compact divvies up the water. The Mississippi used to flow through a delta full of bayous, shifting sad bars, And islets. I find it interesting that households have to watch how much water theyare usingfor washing clothes, wateringlawns, washing cars,etc. Lower Mississippi River flow means less sediment carried down to Louisiana, where it's used for coastal restoration. Here in the scorching Coachella Valley, local governments have approved construction of four surf resorts for the very wealthy. Ive cowboyed enough in my life to know that you just got to stick to the trail, he said. About 33% of vegetables and 66% of fruits and nuts are produced in California for consumption for the nation. Their technical report, which hasnt been peer-reviewed, calculated that a pipe for moving this scale of water would need to be 88 feet in diameter around twice the length of a semi-trailer or a 100-foot-wide channel thats 61 feet deep. Thats not to mention the housing development again, for the very wealthy with its own lagoon. And contrary to Siefkes' claims, experts said, the silty river flows provide sediment critical to shore up the rapidly disappearing Louisiana coast andbarrier islands chewed to bits by hurricanes and sea rise. California wants to build a $16 billion pipeline to draw water out of the Sacramento River Delta and down to the southern part of the state, but critics say the project would deprive Delta farmers of water and destroy local ecosystems. Two hundred miles north of New Orleans, in the heart of swampy Cajun country, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1963 cut a rogue arm of the Mississippi River in half with giant levees to keep the main river intact and flowing to the Gulf of Mexico. Some plans call for a connection to. Snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have swelled to more than 200 percent of their normal size, and snowfall across the rest of the Colorado River Basin is trending above average, too. But interest spans deeper than that. "This sounds outlandish, but we have a massive problem," Paffrath said. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. Yet their persistence in the public sphere illustrates the growing desperation of Western states to dig themselves out of droughts. Why are they so hard to catch? Butbig water infrastructure projects aren't just of interest to the general public. To the editor: While theres no question that the receding waters of Lake Mead are having a detrimental effect on recreation and tourism, the real looming catastrophe is that if the water level of the nations largest reservoir continues to fall and hits a certain level, the hydroeclectic power plant at Hoover Dam will have to shut down. Experts say those will require sacrifices but not as many as building a giant pipeline would require. Yet their persistence in the public sphere illustrates the growing desperation of Western states to dig themselves out of droughts. Environmental writerMarc Reisner said the plan was one of "brutal magnificence" and "unprecedented destructiveness." Politics are an even bigger obstacle for making multi-state pipelines a reality. Since about 1983, Lake Mead has dropped in volume from full capacity at. What states in the Southwest have failed to do is curtail growth and agriculture that is, of course, water-driven. . Another businessman in New Mexico has pushed plans to pump river water 150 miles to the city of Santa Fe, but that water would have to be pumped uphill. Do we have the political will? Even at its cheapest, the project would cost about twice as much per acre-foot of water delivered than other solutions like water conservation and reuse. You should worry, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? It would cost at least $1,700 per acre-feet of water, potentially yield 600,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2060 and take 30 years to construct. But moving water from one drought-impacted area to another is not a solution.. The price tag for construction would add to this hefty bill, along with the costs of powering the equipment needed to pump the water over the Western Continental Divide. Paffrath proposed building a pipeline from the Mississippi River to bring water to drought-stricken California. My water, your water. The basic idea is to take water from the Mississippi River, pump it a thousand miles west, and dump it into the overtaxed Colorado River, which provides water for millions of Arizona residents but has reached historically low levels as its reservoirs dry up. In southeastern California,officials at the Imperial Irrigation District, which is entitled toby far the largest share of Colorado River water, say any move to strip theirrights would result in legal challenges that could last years. But we need to know a lot more about it than we currently do.. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. The idea of a pipeline transecting the continent is not a new idea. after the growth in California . Water from these and other large rivers pour. You could do it.". The water would be drained via a 36 inch pipe already installed four miles west of Sugarloaf Mountain outside Marquette. Power from its hydroelectric dams would boost U.S. electricity supplies. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. Their technical report, which hasnt been peer-reviewed. Mississippi River drought will impact your grocery bill. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its. For instance, a Kansas groundwater management agency received a permit last year to truck 6,000 gallons of Missouri River water into Kansas and Colorado in hopes of recharging an aquifer. Answer (1 of 21): Interbasin transfer is something we try to avoid. Is this a goo. And, here in the land of the midnight 90-degree temperatures, we are building our very own ice hockey rink, because there is more than enough electricity to freeze that body of water and keep the arena cold enough to keep the ice from melting. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. Here are some facts to put perspective to severalof the opinions already expressed here: An aqueduct running from thelower Mississippi to the Colorado River (via the San Juan River tributary, at Farmington, New Mexico), with the same capacity as the California Aqueduct, would roughly double the flow of thelatter while taking merely 1-3% of the formers flow. Developed in 1964 by engineer Ralph Parsons and his Pasadena-basedParsons Corporation,the plan would provide 75million acre-feet of water to arid areas inCanada, the United States and Mexico. This is the country that built the Hoover Dam, and where Los Angeles suburbs were created by taking water from Owens Lake. Under the analyzed scenario, water would be conveyed to Colorados Front Range and areas of New Mexico to help fulfill water needs. It willtake liquid sewage, treat it, and either percolate it back into area groundwater, or, if California law is changed,pipe itto water tanks across the basin. Lake Mead is at its lowest level since it was filled 85 years ago. Still, its physically possible. The project would require more than 300 new dams,canals, pipelines, tunnels, and pumping stations, bans large waterexportsoutside of the area. Known as one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world, since it opened its doors on Earth Day in 2013 the Bullitt Center has been setting a new standard for sustainable design. Follow us on He said wastewater reuse by area agencies has already swelled from 0.20% in the 1980sto 12% of regional water supply. Tribes in the Colorado River Basin are fighting for their water. The delta was tricky for barge traffic and shipping to navigate. Facebook, Follow us on It was the Bureau of Reclamation. But Denver officials have expressed skepticism,because Missouri or Mississippi water isof inferior quality to pure mountain water. Heres how that affects Indigenous water rights, Salton Sea public health disaster gets a $250 million shot in the arm. A water pipeline like Millions would help, if he could wave a magic wand and build it, but Fort believes the present scramble over the Colorado River will likely make such projects impossible to realize. No. he said. We need to protect our water supply, at allcosts, and forgo our financialgains. Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. As apractical matter, Famiglietti, a Universityof Saskatchewan hydrology professor who tracks water basins worldwide via NASA satellite data, saidMississippi River states also experiencedry spells, and the watershed, the fourth largest in the world, also ebbs and flows. Letters to the Editor: Antigovernment ideology isnt working for snowed-in mountain towns, Letters to the Editor: Ignore Marjorie Taylor Greene? Water use has gone down 40% per capita in recent years, said Coffey. There are at least half a dozen major water pipeline projects under consideration throughout the region, ranging from ambitious to outlandish. But, as water scarcity in the West gets more desperate, the hurdles could be overcome one day. The pipeline would help it tap another 86,000 acre-feet of . Studies and modern-day engineering have proven that such projects are possible but would require decades of construction and billions of dollars. When finished, the $62 billion project will link Chinas four main rivers and requiresconstruction of three lengthy diversion routes, one using as its basethe1,100-mile longHangzhou-to-Beijing canal, which dates from the 7th century AD. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Opinion: How has American healthcare gone so wrong? In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Interiors Bureau of Reclamation completed the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken within the Colorado River Basin at the time, which analyzed solutions to water supply issues including importing water from the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Flooding along the Mississippi River basin appears to have become more frequent in recent years, as has the [] Could a water pipeline from the Mississippi River to Arizona be a real solution? The project would require more than 300 new dams,canals, pipelines, tunnels, and pumping stations. One proposed solution to the Colorado River Basin's water scarcity crisis has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched West . The California Aqueduct carries about 13,000 cubic feet per second through the Central Valley; the Colorado River atLees Ferry runs about 7,000 to 14,000 cfs; the Mississippi at Vicksburg varies from 400,000 to 1.2 million cfs. According to DPS, the driver of the semi-truck lost control of the truck on the icy I-40 freeway near Williams, striking a DPS patrol car parked by the side of the highway. Last updated on: February 10, 2023, 10:54h. Still, its physically possible. The diverted flow would require massive water tunnels, since a flow of 250,000. But, as water scarcity in the West gets more desperate, the hurdles could be overcome one day. Large amounts of fossil fuelenergy neededto pump water over the Rockies would increase the very climate change thats exacerbating the 1,200-year drought afflicting the Colorado River in the first place, said Newman, who in his previous job helped the state of Colorado design a long-term water conservation plan. The total projected cost of the plan in 1975 was $100 billion or nearly $570billion in today's dollars,comparable to theInterstate Highway System. My state, your state. Donate today to keep our climate news free. Other legal constraints include the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Protection Act and variousstate environmental laws, said Brent Newman, senior policy director for the National Audubon Society's Delta state programs. We are already in a severe drought. Diverting that water also means spreading problems, like pollutants,. Available data for this site Madison County, Illinois. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Here's How. Safety concerns increased in 2020 after a pipeline in Mississippi ruptured in a landslide, releasing a heavier-than-air plume of carbon dioxide that displaced oxygen near the ground. The Arizona state legislature allocated seed money toward a study of a thousand-mile pipeline that would do exactly this last year, and the states top water official says hes spoken to officials in Kansas about participating in the project. Drainage area 171,500 square miles . The trooper inside suffered minor injuries. "We're going to start to see these reservoirs, which nine of them are already filled from the rain water, so then you add on snow melt and we may have some problems with that as far as flooding . Similar ideas have been suggested about Great Lakes water. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. Snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have swelled to more than 200% their normal size, and snowfall across the rest of the Colorado River Basin is trending above average, too. Experts we spoke with agreed the feat would be astronomical. If we had a big pipeline from Lake Sakakawea, we wouldn't just dump it into Lake Powell. "I'm an optimist," said Coffey, who said local conservation is key. Photos of snowfall around northern Arizona. Would itbe expensive? Twitter, Follow us on The idea of diverting water from the Mississippi to the Colorado River basin is an excellent one, albeit also fantastically expensive. USGS 05587500 Mississippi River at Alton, IL. This summer, as seven states and Mexico push to meet a Tuesday deadline to agree on plans to shore up the Colorado River and itsshrivelingreservoirs, retired engineer Don Siefkes of San Leandro, California,wrote a letter to The Desert Sun with what he said was asolution to the West's water woes: build an aqueduct from the Old River Control Structure to Lake Powell, 1,489 miles west, to refill the Colorado River system with Mississippi River water. Doug Ducey signed legislation this past July that invested $1.2 billion to fund projects that conserve water and bring more into the state. This latest version would curve up through the Wyoming flatlands and back down to Fort Collins, a distance of around 340 miles. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. A pipeline to the Mississippi River Perhaps the biggest achievement Paffrath said he would accomplish if elected governor would be to solve California's water crisis by building a. Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. Viaderos team estimated that the sale of the water needed to fill the Colorado Rivers Lake Powell and Lake Mead the largest reservoirs in the country would cost more than $134 billion at a penny a gallon. And biologists andenvironmental attorneys saidNew Orleans and the Louisiana coast, along with the interior swamplands, need every drop of muddy Mississippi water. Arizona, which holds "junior"rights to Colorado River water, meaning it has already been forced to make cuts and might be legally required to make far larger reductions, wants to build a bi-national desalination plant at the Sea of Cortez, which separates Baja California from the Mexican mainland. Newsom said the state must capture 100 million metric tons of carbon each year by 2045 about a quarter of what the state now emits annually. If a portion of the farmers in the region were to change crops or fallow their fields, the freed-up water could sustain growing cities. Such major infrastructure is an absolute necessity, said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, who said he represents the governor on all things Colorado River.. Yahoo, Reddit and ceaseless headlines about a 22-year megadrought and killer flash floods, not to mention dead bodies showing up on Lake Meads newly exposed shoreline, have galvanized reader interest this summer. 10/4/2021. Much of the sediment it was carrying was dropped in the slow moving water of the Delta. We have already introduced invasive species all over the continentzebra mussels, quagga mussels, grass carp, spiny water flea, lampreys, ru. He said a major wastewater reuse project that MWD plans to implement by 2032 could ultimately yield up 150 million gallons of potable water a day from treated waste. It might be in the trillions, but it probably does exist.. The mountains are green now but that could be harmful during wildfire season. Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west. Each year worsens our receipt of rain and snow. Infrastructure is one of the few ways well turn things around to assure that theres some supply.. Yes, it would be hugely expensive. The price tag for construction would add to this hefty bill, along with the costs of powering the equipment needed to pump the water over the Western Continental Divide. They includegawky pink roseate spoonbills, tiny bright yellow warblers, known as swamp candles because of their bright glow in the humid, green woods, and more. He raised the possibility that policymakers will seek to build a 900-mile pipeline from Lake Superior to the Green River watershed in southwest Wyoming. She said extensive public education, aided by federal mandates and financial incentives, eventually led toa wholesale transition that saves millions of gallons of water. and Renstrom says that unless Utah builds a long-promised pipeline to pump water 140 miles from Lake . Reader support helps sustain our work. Page Contact Information: Missouri Water Data Support Team Page Last Modified: 2023-03-04 08:46:14 EST . The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. Wildfire, flooding concerns after massive snowfall in Arizona, Customers will have to ask for water at Nevada restaurants if bill passes, Snow causes semi truck to crash into Arizona DPS Trooper SUV near Williams, A showdown over Colorado River water is setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle, In Arizona and other western states, pressure to count water lost to evaporation, While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021, RELATED: Phoenix city officials celebrate final pipe installation in the Drought Pipeline Project, the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken within the Colorado River Basin. Arizona lawmakers want to build a pipeline from the Mississippi River more than a thousand miles away, a Colorado rancher wants to pipe water 300 miles across the Rockies, and Utah wants to pump even more water out of the already-depleted Lake Powell. By Brittney J. Miller, The Cedar Rapids Gazette. The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill that, if passed, would require restaurants to only provide water upon customer request. Water thieves abound in dry California. The . Arizona lawmakers want to build a pipeline from the Mississippi River more than a thousand miles away, a Colorado rancher wants to pipe water 300 miles across the Rockies, and Utah wants. About 60 percent of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity. The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Unrecognizable. Lake Mead, a lifeline for water in Los Angeles and the West, tips toward crisis. The most obvious problem with this proposal is its mind-boggling cost. Makes me wonder how this got this far, whose interests are being served and who's benefiting. Savor that while your lawns are dying. Noting about 4.5 million gallons per second of Mississippi River flow past the Old River Control Structure in Louisiana, the letter writer explains diverting 250,000 gallons per second would. Precedents set by other diversion attempts, like those that created the Great Lakes Compact, also cast doubt over the political viability of any large-scale Mississippi River diversion attempt, said Chloe Wardropper, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor researching environmental governance. and Renstrom says that unless Utah builds a long-promised pipeline to pump water 140 miles from Lake . document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This story is part of the Grist seriesParched, an in-depth look at how climate change-fueled drought is reshaping communities, economies, and ecosystems. Doug Ducey signed legislation this past July that invested $1.2 billion to fund projects that conserve water and bring more into the state. Amid a major drought in the Western U.S., a proposed solution comes up repeatedly: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to parched states. But there are tons of things that can be done but arent ever done.. So what are the solutions to the arid West's dilemma, as climate change heats up and California's State Water Project, along with Lake Mead and Lake Powell, shrivels due to reduced snowmelt and rainfall? A recent edition of The Desert Sun had twoletters objectingto piping water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River, and on to California. The Great Lakes Compact, signed by President George W. Bush in 2008,bans large waterexportsoutside of the areawithout the approval of all eight states bordering them andinput fromOntario and Quebec. They also concluded environmental and permitting reviews would take decades. In China, the massiveSouth-to-North Water Diversion Projectis the largest such project ever undertaken. Take for instance the so-called Water Horse pipeline, a pet project of a Colorado investor and entrepreneur named Aaron Million. In fact, she and others noted, many such ideas have been studied since the 1940s. All rights reserved. We have to conserve water, butnota ridiculous wave parkthat willprobably go bankrupt? The agency is moving forward with smallerprojects across the state to reduce seismic and hydrologic risks, like eliminating leaks or seepage, including at four existing dams and related spillways in Riverside and Los Angeles counties. Las Vegas' grand proposal is to take water from the mighty Mississippi in a series of smaller pipeline-like exchanges among states just west of the Mississippi to refill the overused. An additional analysis emerged a decade later when Roger Viadero, an environmental scientist and engineer at Western Illinois University, and his graduate students assessed proposals suggested in last summers viral editorials. But pipelines and other big ideaswill always attract interest, hydrology experts said, because they falsely promise an innovative, easy way out. In it, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Idaho Attorney General Ral Labrador contend that a new interpretation of a Clean Water Act rule is too vague, oversteps the bounds of federal authority and puts the liberties of states and private property owners at risk. YouTube, Follow us on Among its provisions, the law granted the states water infrastructure finance authority to investigate the feasibility of potential out-of-state water import agreements. I have dystopian nightmares aboutpipelines marching across the landscape, saidglobal water scarcity expert Jay Famiglietti.
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