FEDS TELL 3 US STATES TO CUT WATER USE BY UP TO 20%

Another milestone has been reached in the ongoing crisis involving the ever-shrinking amount of water in the Colorado River basin. Seven states draw water from the Colorado River along with several Indian nations and even the nation of Mexico. An agreement concerning the division of water resources from the Colorado River among all the entities drawing water from the Colorado River is expiring soon and the states have not come up with a negotiated water reduction agreement. Therefore, the federal government is set to impose a water reduction agreement on the states.

The new water-use pact proposed by the federal government pleases no one. Everyone wants to keep the water resources they currently use, but that is now an impossibility. Given the ongoing megadrought being experienced in the American Southwest, water use reductions are very much required. Current water-use allocations are based on old assumptions about water supplies that characterized earlier, wetter years. Those days are over. Scarcity is the governing reality in the current availability of water supplies.

The three hardest hit states in the new federal proposal are Arizona, Nevada and California. They face possible mandatory 20% water reductions. Arizona and Nevada would apparently be hit the hardest in the proposed new water pact. The Upper Basin states would not currently face mandatory restrictions yet, but are expected to implement voluntary water-use reductions. No one is happy about making water reductions, but it is certain that major water-use cuts will be part of any new water pact. The first, second and third links explain the major facts about this water crisis and proposed water distribution pact. One other fact is that Lakes Mead and Powell, which hold water reserves and which also provide hydro-electric power to the Southwest region are steadily experiencing dropping water levels in those reservoirs. At some point, as I have noted in previous posts on the topic, water levels can drop to a “dead pool” level where hydroelectric power cannot be generated. If that happens, the American Southwest will face very serious situations.

Currently, the Southwest water-users seem recklessly unaware of how bad the water crisis could become. Besides competition between states for water, there is competition between economic sectors for the shrinking water that is available. Agricultural, urban-rural, and recreational uses of water all face possible draconian cuts in future years if the megadrought continues as many climatologists predict. The water managers of the Southwest states strike me as poker players playing cards on the deck of the Titanic oblivious to the fact the ship is sinking. I think the current plans of the Southwest states is to ignore the problem and hope it goes away by a sudden reversal from dry to wet rainfall conditions. That is not a wise policy. All the affected states should be implementing major water-use cuts right now to stretch the time that Colorado River water will be available to them.

Of all the water uses that the Colorado River water must meet, i think the most important uses are agriculture (for producing food for the nation) and water for household use (drinking and bathing water, toilet-flushing needs, etc.). If this megadrought continues, its only a matter of time until recreational uses of water will cease to be a priority. When/if this crisis worsens, it is inevitable that water uses will be restricted for golf courses, private swimming pools, industrial use, artificial water ponds and decorative geysers, etc. California and Arizona grow a lot of food that the rest of the nation needs. If the national food supply is threatened, the federal government will have to impose mandatory water-use cuts far more severe than any cuts now being proposed.

If water for recreational and industrial use is cut, jobs will disappear and that means property values will plummet throughout the region affected by the megadrought. In a worst case, some towns may have to be abandoned, an unthinkable option in current circumstances. Some homes may lose water and possibly electric service, making them unlivable. Industries that need lots of water, like data centers, will have no choice but to shut down until new sources of water can be developed. If we reach that level of crisis, states will finally band together to take such actions as building water desalinization plants along the California and Texas coasts, and, perhaps, the Gulf of California just south of the California-Arizona border with Mexico. Since Saudi Arabia and Israel can build water desalinization plants economically, there is no reason American states can’t do the same thing. This is the kind of action that should be taking place already as the predictions of climatologists for future rainfall in the region are grim.

Other parts of the world are also experiencing droughts. You have doubtless seen the droughts which are feeding huge wildfires in Washington state, France, Spain and Greece. The fourth, fifth and sixth link focus on droughts affecting the Netherlands, Hungary and other regions. I’ve seen reports on the TV news that the Rhine and Danube Rivers in Europe are reaching all-time low levels. The fifth link documents that electric power plants can and do shut down when water levels drop precipitously. The same reality may soon face the American Southwest. Where will they find replacement electricity?

The Bible does warn that the Creator God can force mankind to acknowledge his reality and compel people to pray to him to restore blessings that are being withdrawn because of widespread disobedience to his laws and way of life. The Bible records that when God brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he gave them his laws. Obedience would being blessings and disobedience would eventually bring real and even severe national punishments. Deuteronomy 11:16-18 and 28:23-24 warn that severe national droughts would be one method that God would use to punish sinful nations and to humble human leaders. Is this dynamic taking place in modern North America, Europe and other locations? Rainfall is still occurring, but it is all too often so heavy it causes destructive floods and loss of lives. Rain that comes “in due season” is getting to be less frequent. As those who have read my books and articles already know, many Western nations are the modern descendants of the so-called “lost ten tribes of Israel.” Is God starting to use droughts and destructive weather events to get the attention of nations and their leaders that there is a Creator on whom they all depend? Many mistakenly assume that the “lost ten tribes” are the “lost ten Jewish tribes.” They do not realize that none of the lost ten tribes were Jewish when they went into exile in ancient times. Indeed, the kingdoms of Judah (Jewish) and Israel (non-Jewish) were often enemies in ancient times. You must look among the non-Jewish nations when looking for the modern descendants of the ten tribes. You can examine free information about many of the individual tribes of Israel at the Articles tab at my website, and my books trace and document the migrations and modern locations of all the tribes of Israel. The most prominent tribes are Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph who received the lion’s share of the Divine blessings (called “the birthright” in the Bible) that God gave to the ten tribes of Israel. The seventh link will be of special interest to all those living in the modern United States of America. If the USA continues to slide away from God’s laws and commands concerning how to live, expect the droughts to get worse. Perhaps they will get much worse.

FEDS TELL 3 US STATES TO CUT WATER USE BY UP TO 20%

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