Each year worsens our receipt of rain and snow. Viaderos team estimated that the sale of the water needed to fill the Colorado Rivers Lake Powell and Lake Mead the largest reservoirs in the country would cost more than $134 billion at a penny a gallon. In it, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Idaho Attorney General Ral Labrador contend that a new interpretation of a Clean Water Act rule is too vague, oversteps the bounds of federal authority and puts the liberties of states and private property owners at risk. Other forms of augmentation, like desalination, are also gaining popularity on the national scene as possible options. "We're going to start to see these reservoirs, which nine of them are already filled from the rain water, so then you add on snow melt and we may have some problems with that as far as flooding . A water pipeline like Millions would help, if he could wave a magic wand and build it, but Fort believes the present scramble over the Colorado River will likely make such projects impossible to realize. Viaderos team estimated that the sale of the water needed to fill the Colorado Rivers Lake Powell and Lake Mead the largest reservoirs in the country would cost more than $134 billion at a penny a gallon. "Arizona really, really wants oceanfront," she chuckled. Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west. Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west. Even if the government could clear these hurdles, the odds that Midwestern states would just let their water go are slim. The elephant in the room, according to Fort, is agriculture, which accounts for more than 80 percent of water withdrawals from the Colorado River. Today, any water pipeline could cost from $10 billion to $20 billion with another $30 billion in improvements just to get the water to thirsty people and farms. That project, which also faces heavy headwinds from environmentalists, wouldcost an estimated $12 billion. Well, kind of, Letters to the Editor: Shasta County dumps Dominion voting machines at its own peril, Editorial: Bay Area making climate change history by phasing out sales of gas furnaces and water heaters, Column: Mike Lindell is helping a California county dump voting machines. Certainly not the surrounding communities. Theyre all such hypocrites. Experts we spoke with agreed the feat would be astronomical. John Kaufman, the man who proposed the Missouri River pipeline, wants to see the artificial boundaries expand. Conservation alternatives are less palatable than big infrastructure projects, but theyre also more achievable. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. YouTube. Skelton: A pipeline to the Mississippi? Silly as the recall - Los For instance, a Kansas groundwater management agency received a permit last year to truck 6,000 gallons of Missouri River water into Kansas and Colorado in hopes of recharging an aquifer. Yet some smaller-scale projects have become reality. I think it would be foolhardy to dismiss it as not feasible, said Richard Rood, professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. He frames the pipeline as a complement to water-saving policies. after the growth in California . Meanwhile, a rookie Democrat running for governor in Californias recall election last year proposed declaring a state of emergency in order to build a similar project. Vessels ran aground and had to navigate very carefully. The Old River Control Structure, as it was dubbed, is also the linchpin of massive but delicate locks and pulsed flows that feed the largest bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands in the United States, outstripping thebetter-known Okefenokee Swamp that straddles Georgia and Florida. Arizona, for instance, has invested millions of dollars in wastewater recycling while other communities have paid to fix leaky pipes, making their water delivery systems more efficient. But in the face of continuing, ever-worsening drought and ongoing growth of the cities of the desert Southwest, is there a better idea out there? Is sending Mississippi water to West feasible? Experts weigh in These realities havent stopped the Wests would-be water barons from dreaming. Paffrath proposed building a pipeline from the Mississippi River to bring water to drought-stricken California. Mulroy was the keynote speaker at the convention, held at Mandalay Bay, in Las Vegas, which is one of several that comprises the Chamber of Commerce's . The total projected cost of the plan in 1975 was $100 billion or nearly $570billion in today's dollars,comparable to theInterstate Highway System. Widespread interest in the plan eventually fizzled. Their detractors counter that, in an era of permanent aridification driven by climate change, the only sustainable solution is not to bring in more water, but to consume less of it. People fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta's Elk Slough near Courtland, California, on Tuesday, March 24, 2020. "Sometimes there is a propensity in areas like Louisiana or the Southwest, where we've had such success in our engineering marvels, to engineer our way out of everything," Newman said. In China, the massiveSouth-to-North Water Diversion Projectis the largest such project ever undertaken. Gavin Newsom also touted desalination in adrought resilience plan he announcedlast week, though in brackish inland areas. What's the solution to West's water crisis? Desperate ideas explained Here are some facts to put perspective to several of the. In southeastern California,officials at the Imperial Irrigation District, which is entitled toby far the largest share of Colorado River water, say any move to strip theirrights would result in legal challenges that could last years. All three officials said the construction of a45-mile Delta Water Project tunnel to keep supply flowing from the middle of the state to thirsty cities in the south isvital. States wish they wouldnt. The hypothetical Mississippi River pipeline, which gained new life last year amid devastating drought conditions, is a case in point. Drought conditions plagued the region throughout 2022, prompting concerns over river navigation. As western states grew over the twentieth century, the federal government helped them build several massive water diversion projects that would hydrate their growing urban populations: The Central Arizona Project aqueduct brought water from the Colorado River to Phoenix, for instance, and the Big Thompson system piped water across the Colorado Rockies to Denver. Guess Who Proposed the Missouri River Pipeline in the Federal Studies and modern-day engineering have proven that such projects are possible but require decades of construction and billions of dollars. The memorial is seeking Mississippi River water as a solution to ongoing shortages on the Colorado River as water levels reach historic lows in the two largest reservoirs on the river, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Other legal constraints include the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Protection Act and variousstate environmental laws, said Brent Newman, senior policy director for the National Audubon Society's Delta state programs. Absolutely. Politics are an even bigger obstacle for making multi-state pipelines a reality. What goes into the cat-and-mouse game of forecasting Colorados avalanche risks? Doug Ducey signed legislation this past July that invested $1.2 billion to fund projects that conserve water and bring more into the state. The state is expected to lose 10% of its water over the next two decades, reports the . Reader support helps sustain our work. Absolutely not," said Meena Westford, executive director of Colorado River resource policy for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. This One thousand mile long pipeline could move water from the Eastern USA (Great Lakes, Ohio River, Missouri River, and Mississippi River) to the Colorado River via the Mississippi River. Filling Lake Mead with Mississippi River Water No Longer a Pipe Dream These canals and pipelines are . Lower Mississippi River flow means less sediment carried down to Louisiana, where it's used for coastal restoration. "We do not expect to see (carbon capture and storage) happen at a large scale unless we are able to address that pipeline issue," said Rajinder Sahota, deputy executive officer for climate change . Million himself, though, is confident that his pipeline will get built, and that it will ensure Fort Collins future. It's 2011 and the technology exists to build a series of water pipelines across the US, to channel flood water to holding tanks in other areas, and to supply water to drought stricken areas. China, unlike the US, is unencumbered by NEPA, water rights and democratic processes in general. Mississippi River to Colorado River Solar Powered Pipeline - Halfbakery Much of the sediment it was carrying was dropped in the slow moving water of the Delta. The snowbirds commonly stay here for at least six months. Can you solve drought by piping water across the country? - New York Times Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesnt always have enough water to spare. Were doing everything we can to minimize impacts, maximize benefits, and this project has a lot of benevolence associated with it. In his vision of the Wests future, urban growth will necessitate more big infrastructure projects like his. "I think that societally, we want to be more flexible. For one, theres no longer enough unclaimed water to make most pipeline projects cost-effective. An "interstate water system" could fix the West's water woes The Western U.S. is experiencing its driest period in more than a thousand years, according to scientists from UCLA and Columbia University. A multi-state pipeline could easily require decades before it delivers a drop of water," said Michael Cohen, senior researcher with the Pacific Institute. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. She said extensive public education, aided by federal mandates and financial incentives, eventually led toa wholesale transition that saves millions of gallons of water. You tellgolf courses how much water they can use, but one of thelargest wave basins in the world is acceptable? What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Letters to the Editor: Antigovernment ideology isnt working for snowed-in mountain towns, Letters to the Editor: Ignore Marjorie Taylor Greene? "Nebraska wants to build a canal to pull water from the SouthPlatte River in Colorado, and downstream, Colorado wants to take water from the Missouri River and pull it back across Nebraska. Famiglietti saidit's time for a national water policy, not to figure out where to lay down hundreds of pipesbut to look comprehensively at the intertwining of agriculture and the lion's share ofwater it uses. Its largestdam would be 1,700 feet tall, more than twice the height of Hoover Dam. But there are tons of things that can be done but arent ever done.. A recent edition of The Desert Sun had twoletters objectingto piping water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River, and on to California. Yes. This latest version would curve up through the Wyoming flatlands and back down to Fort Collins, a distance of around 340 miles. To Larsons knowledge, an in-depth feasibility study specifically on pumping Mississippi River water to the West hasnt been conducted yet. As part of our commitment to sustainability, in 2021 Grist moved its office headquarters to the Bullitt Center in Seattles vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood. I can't even imagine what it would all cost. Seeking answers,The Desert Sun consultedwater experts, conservation groups and government officials for their assessments. of Engineers has turned back official requests for more water from the Missouri River to alleviate shortages on the Mississippi. The diverted flow would require massive water tunnels, since a flow of 250,000. All rights reserved. Facebook, Follow us on Million told Grist that hes secured partial funding for the project from multiple banks and the infrastructure company MasTec, but it remains unclear how much he would have to charge to make the project profitable. ", Westford of Southern California's Metropolitan Water District agreed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, prodded by members of Congressfrom western states, studied the massive proposal. Los Angeles-area water districts have implemented much of what Famiglietti mentioned. Widespread interest in the plan eventually fizzled. In fact, she and others noted, many such ideas have been studied since the 1940s. The pipeline would help it tap another 86,000 acre-feet of . "Recently I have noticed several letters to the editor in your publication that promoted taking water from the Mississippi River or the Great Lakes and diverting it to California via pipeline or . By George Skelton Capitol Journal Columnist Aug. 30, 2021 5 AM PT SACRAMENTO The award for dumbest idea of the recall election goes to the rookie Democrat who proposed building a water. But interest spans deeper than that. The resulting fresh water would bepiped northto the thirsty state. Pat Mulroy, head of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, pitched a bold idea at a US Chamber of Commerce event last week: divert excess Mississippi River water to the west to irrigate crops to reduce pressure on the stressed Colorado River. About 60% of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity. The project would require more than 300 new dams,canals, pipelines, tunnels, and pumping stations. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. He said hes open to one but doesnt think its necessary. The delta was tricky for barge traffic and shipping to navigate. A Canadian entrepreneur's plan published in 1991 diverted water from eastern British Columbia to the Columbia River, then envisioned a 300-mile pipeline from the river through Oregon to a reservoir near Alturas, California. Additionally, building large infrastructure projects in general has become more difficult, in part thanks to reforms like the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires that detailed environmental impact statements be produced and evaluated for large new infrastructure projects. A water pipeline from the Mississippi River to the west? - Los Angeles Plus, the federal report found the water would be of much lower quality than other western water sources. Arizona Legislators Want to Ship Mississippi River - Planetizen While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. Arizonas main active management areas are in Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties, leaving much of rural Arizona water use unregulated. As an engineer, I can guarantee you that it is doable, Viadero said. Is Getting Great Lakes Water To The Southwest Just A Pipedream Would itbe expensive? Can Water Megaprojects Save The US Desert West? (Part 2) People need to focus on their realistic solutions.. . Instagram, Follow us on 10/4/2021. Filling Lake Mead with Mississippi River Water No Longer a Pipe Dream. and Renstrom says that unless Utah builds a long-promised pipeline to pump water 140 miles from Lake . A 45-mile, $16 billion tunnel that would mark California's largest water project in nearly 50 years took a step closer to reality this week, with Gov. Environmental writerMarc Reisner said the plan was one of "brutal magnificence" and "unprecedented destructiveness." Local hurdles include endangered species protections, wetlands protections, drinking water supply considerations and interstate shipping protections. But grand ideas for guaranteeing water for the arid Westhave beenfloated for decades. The project would have to secure dozens of state and federal permits and clear an enormous federal environmental review; moving the water would also require the construction of several hundred megawatts of power generation. He said wastewater reuse by area agencies has already swelled from 0.20% in the 1980sto 12% of regional water supply. WATER WILL SOON be flowing from Lake Superior to the parched American Southwest. In the 20 years since he first had the idea, Million has suffered a string of regulatory and legal defeats at the hands of state and federal agencies, becoming a kind of bogeyman for conservationists in the process. The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill that, if passed, would require restaurants to only provide water upon customer request. Here in the scorching Coachella Valley, local governments have approved construction of four surf resorts for the very wealthy. Stories of similar projects often share the same ending, from proposals in Iowa and Minnesota to those between Canada and the United States. All rights reserved. We have to conserve water, butnota ridiculous wave parkthat willprobably go bankrupt? Water Piped to Denver Could Ease Stress on River - The New York Times The lawsuit, originally filed in southern Texas' federal courts Jan. 18, was amended to include Idaho on Monday.