Rural Water - Quarter 2, 2008 - (Page 22) In the past, populations lived in or moved to areas where water supplies existed. Now populations want to live in inhospitable regions and move water supplies to where they are. In the past, populations lived in or moved to areas where water supplies existed. Now populations want to live in inhospitable regions and move water supplies to where they are. Is a lack of precipitation in a desert abnormal? Perhaps what is abnormal is the fact that water-usage practices that are followed in the eastern United States are also followed in the West. The population of the western United States has chosen to ignore the present-day climate by transporting water from one region to another while practicing eastern habits of water use and management. Eventually, populations may have to follow the example of ancient populations, give up their overpriced real estate and move. What can be done about present drought conditions? Two things are obvious. First, don’t live in a desert. As Edward Abbey pointed out, “There is no problem with water in the West, as long as you don’t try to build cities where there isn’t any.” It makes no sense to locate large populations in a desert and then rob other areas of water, eventually turning those areas into desert. Is eastern Nevada destined to go the way of Owens Valley? Will El Paso and Las Cruces put an end to rural communities in their areas? The second thing that can be done is to use water more intelligently. The evaporation rate in Nevada ranges from 40 to 82 inches per year (Houghton et al., 1975). Does it make sense to pump water from the ground and spray it into hot, dry air? Metropolitan areas such as Phoenix and Las Vegas, with their fountains, sidewalk misters, lawns, golf courses and agricultural areas with their daytime spray irrigation practices are all guilty of extravagant water wastefulness. One of Nevada’s main agricultural exports is water – we use it to grow hay in a desert for export to California and Asia. Someday, when all the hay and water are gone, people will wonder where the rest of the food supply went. It is debatable whether we presently are in a drought or if this is just a normal, cyclical episode in the desert. The real drought may be one of intelligent ideas by municipal and rural water managers as to how water should be responsibly used in this arid region. Rural communities can protect and extend their resources by metering, setting intelligent rate structures, establishing use ordinances, anticipating shortages and locating alternate or emergency sources. Your state rural water association can supply free technical assistance to help you achieve those goals. References Burroughs (2003), “Climate into the 21st Century,” World Meteorological Organization. Emerson (2002), “Drought, Mysteries,” and “History, On Tap,” Summer 2002. Houghton, Sakamoto & Gifford (1975), “Nevada’s Weather and Climate,” Nev. Bureau Mines & Geol. Special Publication 2. 22 • Second Quarter 2008 http://www.archchemicals.com
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