[logline]

I'm telling ya guys, just flood the Salton Sea and Death Valley. No pumps needed. Just let gravity do the work for us and let the sea water trickle down hill to its lowest point.

[WestieJeff]

Conservation is just so much cheaper and practical than any other option of moving water around. In my opinion, everyone that draws off the Colorado needs to be in max conservation mode before exploring massive water movement or desalination projects.

We really need to look at water usage and decide what are good uses of water. Is growing a lawn a good use? I think we can agree drinking water is important. Is food important? Is all agriculture equal?

I don't remotely see it worthwhile to build a water pipeline so someone can have a green lawn.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by WestieJeff

Conservation is just so much cheaper and practical than any other option of moving water around. In my opinion, everyone that draws off the Colorado needs to be in max conservation mode before exploring massive water movement or desalination projects.

We really need to look at water usage and decide what are good uses of water. Is growing a lawn a good use? I think we can agree drinking water is important. Is food important? Is all agriculture equal?

I don't remotely see it worthwhile to build a water pipeline so someone can have a green lawn.

That has to start with abrogating all existing water rights, and reallocating the supply to appropriate uses. No other country would allow a precious resource like water to be controlled by the successors to the people who got the rights 150 years ago merely by being first there.

[Willy702]

Originally Posted by WRM20

That has to start with abrogating all existing water rights, and reallocating the supply to appropriate uses. No other country would allow a precious resource like water to be controlled by the successors to the people who got the rights 150 years ago merely by being first there.

As there is no federal watering system and Congress has never made the allocation of water a federal issue it becomes a states rights issue. Nevada and Arizona have no leverage here, they can't look at California and say you guys need to help us out nor can the two states tell California you need to build desal plants or do anything you choose not to do.

It sucks for Nevada no doubt, but that's why SNWA has followed the path they have. Indoor water use leads to almost zero usage due to recycling. Most water utilized is outdoor usage where its subject to evaporation. This is why ending sprinklers and watering is so key. After that we'll see things like the restriction or limitations on use of water for outdoor cleaning and car washing. Windows will have to just stay dirty. Las Vegas will always have water for typical home use despite what all the uninformed say. If we just got other states to follow the same path there is plenty of water for residential use. The agricultural use will have to be better thought out for the future.

[BBMW]

A lot of the west's water allocation is controlled by the Colorado River Compact. First, this is set to expire in 2026, and what happens then will be, at the least, interesting. Also, this is the equivalent of a federal law (I likely had to be approved by Congress way back when. It's likely if Congress wanted to scrap it and replace it earlier, it could. Of course the politics of this would also be interesting. But as the shortage of water turns up the political/social heat, it will be interesting to see how this resolves.

Originally Posted by Willy702

As there is no federal watering system and Congress has never made the allocation of water a federal issue it becomes a states rights issue. Nevada and Arizona have no leverage here, they can't look at California and say you guys need to help us out nor can the two states tell California you need to build desal plants or do anything you choose not to do.

It sucks for Nevada no doubt, but that's why SNWA has followed the path they have. Indoor water use leads to almost zero usage due to recycling. Most water utilized is outdoor usage where its subject to evaporation. This is why ending sprinklers and watering is so key. After that we'll see things like the restriction or limitations on use of water for outdoor cleaning and car washing. Windows will have to just stay dirty. Las Vegas will always have water for typical home use despite what all the uninformed say. If we just got other states to follow the same path there is plenty of water for residential use. The agricultural use will have to be better thought out for the future.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by BBMW

A lot of the west's water allocation is controlled by the Colorado River Compact. First, this is set to expire in 2026, and what happens then will be, at the least, interesting. Also, this is the equivalent of a federal law (I likely had to be approved by Congress way back when. It's likely if Congress wanted to scrap it and replace it earlier, it could. Of course the politics of this would also be interesting. But as the shortage of water turns up the political/social heat, it will be interesting to see how this resolves.

The compact was approved by Congress in 1922.

Of interest, CA used to be able to take any extra water not used by the other states. In 2001, Sec of the Interior gave CA 15 years to implement water conservation programs and they met that goal. The extra water not used is now divided proportionally.

Reallocation is going to be interesting. It could result in Nevada getting less water than it does now as the state has fewer water restrictions and conservation programs than CA does. CA may be rewarded with more water allowing for greater growth potential while NV may lose water until it does implement stronger programs and restrictions.

[VLWH]

You guys want water? You got it.

https://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2022/...torm-more-rai/

[robr2]

Unfortunately, storms like that do very little for drought conditions. The rain comes down so fast that the dry soil can't absorb it and it simply washes away. Slow, steady rain over a long period is what helps droughts.

[Willy702]

Originally Posted by robr2

Unfortunately, storms like that do very little for drought conditions. The rain comes down so fast that the dry soil can't absorb it and it simply washes away. Slow, steady rain over a long period is what helps droughts.

More like slow steady snow over the mountains two states over. Lake is way over 100 feet below its full capacity so a tropical storm that parked itself over the lake for a day or two wouldn't do much to cover the deficit.

[Whiskey-Pete]

Originally Posted by AA702

I saw a youtube video on building a pipeline/aqua duct project that would connect the Missouri river in Kansas to connect to the Colorado river. This would be very expensive but it would solve the problem since they have a large surplus of water on that side of the rockies.

and we will all be dead by then.