Tensions Are Rising Between States That Rely on the Colorado River | A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead.
2d 9h ago by slrpnk.net/u/silence7 in nyt_gift_articles@sopuli.xyz from www.nytimes.com
About 40 million people and 5.5 million acres of cropland depend on the Colorado for drinking water and irrigation, but its flow has gradually diminished over the past two decades as the climate becomes warmer and more arid across the West. Now the arcane system of water rights governing the river entitles each state and Mexico to far more water than is actually available. The rules prioritize the longest-established uses of water, in many cases dating to the 1850s and 1860s.
Not really discussed much: the water mostly goes to food for cows and cars, not people
I commented this on another post with this link, but Climate Town has a really good video on how we got into this mess in the first place, and it's wildly messed up even before you factor in climate-crisis-related issues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XusyNT_k-1c
Welp, time to read The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi again.
I really hope the strong el nino will bring much needed rain to the region