11 14 2011 Water are we running out A socio natural puzzle Eric A Reiff Lead TA GEOG 2412 Outline Introduction The hydrological cycle Water in the US Riparian Doctrine Prior Appropriation Beneficial Uses Central AZ Project Colorado Big Thompson Douglas County CO Colorado River Compact Demand Management Climate Change Water Quality Conclusions Whiskey is for drinking water is for fighting over Attributed to Mark Twain Approximately 60 of the adult human body is water Life originated in water and water is the key ingredient to make life possible 1 11 14 2011 Fresh Water Distribution in Motion Nature s water allocation East of the 100th Water falls from the sky in quantities that make irrigation to grow crops unnecessary West of the 100th Water doesn t fall from the sky in quantities necessary for growing most crops Riparian Doctrine Comes from English common law Property adjacent to a surface water source can use the water as long as it doesn t injure a downstream user You can t separate the water right from the land nor can you export the water way from the property adjoining the water source 2 11 14 2011 Prior Appropriation Doctrine Colorado Doctrine First in time first in right Physical water is held in common by all Coloradans First one to put water to a beneficial use gets to claim a usufructory right in perpetuity to that water quantity Have to get in line behind earlier claims Junior Senior Rights No equitable sharing you only get your water if there is any left A water right functions like a legal property right that is separate from the land and can be sold independently of land Can t legally collect water rain water in Colorado without a right Rivers are now over appropriated nature provides limited quantities of water but our narrative and institutions are based on limitless nature Diagram of the Colorado Big Thompson Project Approximately 80 of Colorado water falls on the West Slope Approximately 80 of Colorado s population lives on the East Slope between Ft Collins and Pueblo Water flows not downhill but toward money Tom Kimmell Douglas County Colorado Exurban community south of Denver Population 1960 4 816 2010 285 465 2030 projected to be over 500 000 Fastest growing county in US in 2007 one of ten wealthiest 90 of water is from an effectively non renewable aquifer 3 11 14 2011 Colorado River Supplies water to 25 million people Helps irrigate 3 5M acres of farmland More water is exported from the Colorado River Basin than any other in the world Colorado River Delta Colorado River Compact 1922 The law of the river Divides the basin into upper and lower basin states at Lee s Ferry approximately the Hoover Dam Each basin gets 7 5M acre feet year nothing for Mexico or Indian Reservations The lower basin is senior Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams meant to help store water for low water years Call of the river 4 11 14 2011 Can we manage demand instead of increase supply Our narrative is one of limitless nature If we can t increase supply can we manage demand Climate Change The west is projected to have a 10 decrease in the amount of water available by 2050 We built our system on snow not rain Lower mountains are worse off lower means warmer means rain Water Energy Nexus Energy consumes water water consumes energy 5 11 14 2011 Mexico Water Quality and Desalination In 1944 the US added Mexico to the Law of the River allotting them 1 5M acre ft yr Water was too saline to be used so US built Yuma Yuma s estimated operating cost is 484 per acre foot compared to about 120 an acre foot to deliver Central AZ Proj water The technology is still extremely energy dependent and prohibitively expensive right now 50 80 of desalination costs are for energy Boulder s Drinking Water Water Quality Non point source pollution What s in your water http www msnbc msn com id 643 6617 ns nightly news t male fish becoming female TrixT Qr2nA 6 11 14 2011 Are we really running out What do our perspectives say Conclusion This barely scratches the surface of water issues in the West and the entire world is struggling with this question If you found this interesting take Paul Lander s Western Water Class GEOG 4501 or you can always come talk to me 7
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