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Do you think "long-term" when making future plans concerning relocation or a BOL? Specifically, do you factor in studies about water resource availability?
The aquifers feeding streams, lakes, and wells may dry up. Suburban water rates could skyrocket. Cistern storage depends on regular rainfall. Water trucked in would be prohibitively expensive.
In addition to checking the current data provided by the U.S. Drought Monitor (US Drought Monitor), I read studies about predicted shortfalls in water supply sustainability from different sources. Here's a recent one:
A new report says more than 1,000 counties across the United States are at risk for potential water shortages by mid-century as warmer temperatures deplete supplies and demand for water rises.
The report, released Tuesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council, says some regions including the Northeast could see a boost to water supplies as climate change shifts weather patterns.
But for much of the rest of the country, the group paints a sobering picture of warm temperatures further taxing aquifers already stressed by heavy agricultural and consumer use. The report did not factor in future improvements to water supply systems.
Fourteen states were highlighted as being most at risk: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Please, let's leave the "global warming" arguments pro and con out of your replies and, yes, I know the report comes from one of those liberal, bunny-hugger sites... I'd just be interested to know, especially for those intending to relocate/bug out to the Southwest or to one of the 1100 counties at risk, how much would these kind of studies affect your decision?
It's personal because I have a nephew who's planning on buying some "retirement acreage" in northern Arizona...
From the middle of the street outside my office, I can see 800,000 gallons of water per second flowing past my view, all on its way to the Gulf of Mexico where it is mixed with sea water and become unpalatable. That's 69.1 billion gallons per day or about 230 gallons per day for every man woman and child in the U.S. And, although I would not drink this water untreated, many do. And, they swim and ski in it and fish.
So, water shortage has little meaning to me.
Last edited by Wilson513; 07-22-2010 at 02:00 PM..
Reason: math skills not so good
The majority of the nation is drought prone. Either seasonal droughts [every year, year after year] or cyclic droughts [every 4 to 7 years].
I grew-up farming in a desert. During the socialist work-programs of the WPA era the worlds' largest aqueduct system was built to provide flood control, irrigation and electrical power to the region. So today they can flood irrigate. But it is still a desert.
When looking for land to homestead on, the primary criteria for us was water.
There are regions of the US that have no true droughts.
Our eldest son wants to get some land in Texas. Apparently he may have to dig 1500 feet to hit water. I am concerned about how much all that pumping is going to cost him.
A lot of people love droughts, and keeping moving there.
Our eldest son wants to get some land in Texas. Apparently he may have to dig 1500 feet to hit water. I am concerned about how much all that pumping is going to cost him.
A lot of people love droughts, and keeping moving there.
Yeah, my nephew likes Texas, too...
Check this out:
"To accelerate agricultural production--or just to keep the present rate--Texas needs a never-ending supply of water; yet it faces a grave water depletion problem. Massive pumping from underground aquifers threatens the life of these ancient water-bearing formations which provide the major portion of water used in the state's agriculture. Anxiety over the diminishing supply of underground water is felt throughout the state."
From a Texas Water Resources report DATED MARCH, 1975.
And I don't know if your son is thinking of east Texas, but this from 2006 is also scary:
"Upchurch says it was three years ago when her well began to dry up. Upchurch was told it would cost about $20,000 to dig a deeper well, something she could not afford."
Our eldest son wants to get some land in Texas. Apparently he may have to dig 1500 feet to hit water. I am concerned about how much all that pumping is going to cost him.
A lot of people love droughts, and keeping moving there.
Depends where he moves. Not all of Texas is like that.
I'm in Central Texas and my well is 200 feet deep with the pump at 160 feet and plenty of water.
Claims of Florida's water problems are hysterically funny to me. Almost any place you go in the state, the water is at the surface or no more than 50' down. Dig a hole and it'll fill up with water. It gets TORRENTIAL rains. There are NO desert areas. And yet, people claim it has a lack of water. The problem is not the lack of water, but a plethora of idiots.
Claims of Florida's water problems are hysterically funny to me. Almost any place you go in the state, the water is at the surface or no more than 50' down. Dig a hole and it'll fill up with water. It gets TORRENTIAL rains. There are NO desert areas. And yet, people claim it has a lack of water. The problem is not the lack of water, but a plethora of idiots.
Florida is overpopulated. The underground water is being pumped out at a higher rate that it is being replenished by the rain water. (I think this would explain the problem with sinkholes). The "torrential" rains do not happen as often and do not last as long as let's say 20 years ago. In the heat of the summer the rain water evaporates so fast, I would be surprised if even half of it reached the underground reservoirs.
I've been living in North Florida for 20+ years. We've been on water restriction for years now, the quality of water keeps declining year after year and the water pressure is low, especially in the summer.
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I'd just be interested to know, especially for those intending to relocate/bug out to the Southwest or to one of the 1100 counties at risk, how much would these kind of studies affect your decision?
