Southwest US Drought Megathread

[Blobby's Murder Knife]

I figured I would start a thread on this because the conditions on Lake Mead are particularly horrifying. This is where the Hoover Dam is and it is near at deadpool.

Please check out their channel and see how dire the situation has gotten. They frequently check past sign posts marking the water levels and it is appalling how low the lake has gotten. The lakes showcased here provide much of the water and electricity to the southwest.

The Past, Present and Future of the West’s Water Woes
As water crisis worsens on Colorado River, an urgent call for Western states to 'act now'
Race is on for Colorado River basin states to conserve before feds take action
Lake Mead nears dead pool status as water levels hit another historic low
Feds: Lake Mead could become ‘useless’ without major water use cuts
Lake Mead: Drought-stricken reservoir near Vegas hits new lowest level since 1930s
California: Lake Oroville Water-Level Photos Show Extreme Drought Impact
A major California reservoir has hit its peak for the year at just over half full
California Drought Could Severely Limit Hydropower This Summer
California's Drought Is Making Everything Less Green, Including EVs
Report: California hydropower could be cut in half this summer
What would happen if Glen Canyon Dam stops producing hydropower?


Arizona farmers stretched thin as drought plagues the Southwest
The Southwest’s unchecked thirst for Colorado River water could prove devastating upstream
Sobering drought studies show it’s worse than we think
Southwest megadrought pushes hydropower to the brink
Orange County Cities Wrestling With Southwest Drought Look to Conservation Policies
Newsom refuses to mandate strict water cuts. Why his ‘bottom-up’ drought strategy is not working
Buildings at National Observatory destroyed by wildfire in Arizona
Sweltering streets of Arizona: Hundreds of homeless die in extreme heat
California’s water supply goes beyond the current drought
Water shortages threaten development throughout the West
Dams, taps running dry in northern Mexico amid historic water shortages

 

[Puff]

Ah, california, land of droughts and also agriculture that requires a fuckton of water (even by agricultural standards).
No coal allowed, no natural gas available, and no water to spin turbines.

 

[DumbDude42]

isn't the southwestern US naturally an arid desert region anyway

 

[Bland Crumbs]

Economy in tatters.
Incoming Dust Bowl.
Great Depression 2: Biden Boogaloo is go!

 

[Blobby's Murder Knife]

isn't the southwestern US naturally an arid desert region anyway

Yes, which makes all of this so much worse because of the huge population. This includes Las Vegas, Flagstaff, to some extent Phoenix and Tucson, parts of California, particularly the agricultural regions. Phoenix is unimaginably huge and I am an American. It just sprawls and sprawls for an unfathomable amount of miles with a population of 4 million in the metro. And water is fucking wasted everywhere there watering all kinds of unsustainable landscaping and agriculture. Lots of people have pools (which are actually unusable in the summer because swimming is not fun when it is 120F outside and 110F in the water). It is the most irresponsible city I think exists, personally, in the US (besides probably New Orleans). I like it, but it is very poorly thought out especially for the explosive growth (which I personally don't get because Phoenix is like the deepest level of hot hell in between May and October). The Colorado does not supply Phoenix with all the water, but a good portion of it.

 

[Ow The Edge]

Even nature hates the abomination of desolation that is California.

 

[1Tonka_Truck]

isn't the southwestern US naturally an arid desert region anyway

Yes, but the Colorado River is fed by snowpack in Colorado and Wyoming. That and the rivers fed by Sierra snow pack, like the Feather River, are the only reason most of California is inhabitable.

 

[Madre Muerte]

Whilst Arizona and New Mexico are uninhabitable hellholes only recently made bearable with A.C. California is actually extremely fertile and is where 90% of food in the U.S is produced. Despite making up only 4% of the states' farms.
https://web.archive.org/web/2022012...teresting-facts-about-california-agriculture/
The southwest is more than just a desert. The problem is the overpopulation. Most infrastructure for carrying water around the region was never designed for the amount of people there.
(Arizona's population, notice how there are 21 times as many people there today than a 100 years ago)

 

[Takodachi]

God hates California, land of the sodomite damned. The fag infested land of California is drying and burning, the heat of god's wrath is sending dozens of those filthy California beasts straight to hell.

 

[Ow The Edge]

Here's a good video summarizing the extent of the water crisis that's hitting the area and why:

If he's on track and nothing changes, LA may be completely out of water by some time next year. That should be fun.

 

[Moja Zemlja]

Can someone give me a qrd on why this is actually happening?

 

[Ow The Edge]

Can someone give me a qrd on why this is actually happening?

Millions of people have chosen to live in the middle of a desert and there isn't enough water for them all.

 

[Blobby's Murder Knife]

Can someone give me a qrd on why this is actually happening?

Watch the vid above your post. This affects 40 million people for a lot of reasons.

 

[Daddy's Little Kitten]

I would laugh, but in my country, we're also in drought. Some cities have begun rationing their water.

 

[jje100010001]

Millions of people have chosen to live in the middle of a desert and there isn't enough water for them all.

Unironically I think a series of severe-but-not-catastrophic droughts may be enough to pump the brakes on Southwest population growth & progressively build up resilience/lifestyle changes, with people fed up with water rationing & standing in line for water trucks installing more rainwater harvesting systems & tanks/xeroscaping/abandoning pools.

That being said, I do agree that a lot of the high desert cities are completely unsustainable, and will see the greatest shocks.

 

[Blobby's Murder Knife]

Unironically I think a series of severe-but-not-catastrophic droughts may be enough to pump the brakes on Southwest population growth & progressively realign lifestyles, from people fed up with water rationing & standing in line for water trucks installing more rainwater harvesting systems/xeroscaping/abandoning pools.

That being said, I do agree that a lot of the high desert cities are completely unsustainable, and will see the greatest shocks.

I think Las Vegas does the best job of water management. They recapture the vast majority that they use and I think account for very little useage out of Lake Mead, despite being closest to it. Phoenix just wastes water like it doesn’t real and it will be a rude awakening soon for it if the Colorado runs dry.

 

[Darkholme's Dungeon]

Can someone give me a qrd on why this is actually happening?

Major sperg/power level. I do something related to this for a living (thank god I'm not a policy advisor).

California/Arizona desert is great for growing things, little disease, little rainfall (can cause plants to grow elsewhere not desired)... Issue is that there's no fucking water.
See: California v. Arizona There's about like somewhere between 12-49 court cases over the Colorado river compact (mostly X v California), which govern who uses how much water.

Background. Colorado river compact was signed in 1922, when we did not understand the climate of the area. It seems that the climate scientist (actual work) current theory is that the west goes through 120 year cycles of extreme drought/flood. Well, the data in 1922 law was a 30% overestimation of the apex of the wet season year so I wonder why we don't have enough water?

California basically pulls a "I have altered the deal, pray I do not alter it further" and Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah tell CA to FUCK OFF.

Unironically I think a series of severe-but-not-catastrophic droughts may be enough to pump the brakes on Southwest population growth & progressively build up resilience/lifestyle changes, with people fed up with water rationing & standing in line for water trucks installing more rainwater harvesting systems & tanks/xeroscaping/abandoning pools.

That being said, I do agree that a lot of the high desert cities are completely unsustainable, and will see the greatest shocks.

BLAME FUCKING CA AND ALMONDS + GRAPES (Raisins, table, and wine). Did you know? A federal subsidy for Raisinsexists, guess where they're made? California.

Whilst Arizona and New Mexico are uninhabitable hellholes only recently made bearable with A.C. California is actually extremely fertile and is where 90% of food in the U.S is produced. Despite making up only 4% of the states' farms.
https://web.archive.org/web/2022012...teresting-facts-about-california-agriculture/
The southwest is more than just a desert. The problem is the overpopulation. Most infrastructure for carrying water around the region was never designed for the amount of people there.
(Arizona's population, notice how there are 21 times as many people there today than a 100 years ago)
Ver archivo adjunto 3416095

California (and by extention the USA) is a case study of what not to do in agriculture. In the sense that the drier areas have little disease, optimal growth, but no water. So what does California do? They breed plants for MAXIMUM PRODUCTIVITY. Eschewing disease resistance. They use flood irrigation, the least efficient (and most water wastage) when fucking states like TEXAS and LOUISIANA use god damn sprinklers/drip.

Well, the proverbial chickens have come home to roost. Disease finally got spread to California and they are shitting the bed, alongside a lack of water. Oh and did I mention literally fucking fire burning and the smoke ruining everything?

Here's the kicker. The people that run these farms in CA are closely in ties with Pelosi and co. After all, it was Pelosi's father in law that convinced Roosevelt to kick out the Japanese because they really wanted that land for the "white" (more like their own interest group) farmers.

There is no easy fix to the disease issue (exotic species and all that). They can however:
-Stop not burning forests since controlled burns are required for the Cali ecosystem
-Build desal plants and stop draining water from the valley area (see: California water wars) for non ag use.
-Stop using flood irrigation like retards
-Stop trying to grow literally all their fruit and grow stuff that does "better" in the desert. Hint: It has to do with water efficiency
-Hang themselves for using up all the ground water for future generations.

California and Arizona priced out the other fruit/nut states (GA, TX, LA, MI, AL, SC, NC, FL not included because it fully tropical) because they had no disease issues, since pesticide is expensive but water is cheap. However, a textbook tragedy of the commons situation has appeared.

 

[Dumb Bitch Smoothie]

Easily the most autistic solution

 

[Darkholme's Dungeon]

Easily the most autistic solution

There's a third idea, that might actually be a long term solution. IT would however severely distrupt the ecosystem.
Much like how China built a pipeline to drain water from the plentiful south up north, the US could theoretically build a canal from Louisiana to Cali. Won't ever happen because of red tape.
@Kvervandi Thread theme:

https://youtu.be/sxE-ddyCOJo

 

[Rei is shit]

California is actually extremely fertile and is where 90% of food in the U.S is produced. Despite making up only 4% of the states' farms.

Why do people believe dumb shit like this?