Future of Water in the Southwest vs. Retirement Plans

[AZ8]

Bunch of doomers! Lol

We’re doing some good things and not just ignoring the obvious.

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[Billy Goat]

Because someone turned manicured lawns I to an industry. They marketed to us and we bought into it. We were persuaded to believe we needed it. It worked.

Reforking stupid.


The amount of energy and resources in this country devoted to growing a green lawn is unbelievable.

 

[BBob]

Some people go with the desert landscaping. UGLY.

To each his own, some of us kind of like our desert and how it looks

 

[rclouse79]

I loved living in Tucson, but reading all of the issues with water makes me glad I moved North. I guess I am still screwed if things get really bad, because everyone is going to move up here.

 

[7mm-08]

To each his own, some of us kind of like our desert and how it looks

I spent a few years in Yuma in the early 80's and I have to say that the desert has an incredible beauty that cannot be ignored.

 

[Hippie Steve]

It doesn't matter what state you live in and it's water abuse. MT is a prime example of conservatives moving here and using up all the resources because they think they are entitled to. Working together for democracy, empathy and alternative innovations for water resources is going to mitigate our water fears.

 

[Dos XX]

Reforking stupid.


The amount of energy and resources in this country devoted to growing a green lawn is unbelievable.

Plus a lot of that runs off into waterways.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Everyone understands their need for water, but it's rare that someone from east of the MS and even west of it a little way, understands the difference between water supply in the West and where they are from. I'd never heard of a water attorney before moving to Colorado.

You can't just pop a well in anywhere without significantly more permitting than back East and even then there's the possibility of no water, or insufficient water, regardless how deep you drill. Some regions much worse than others. The tap fees onto county or city water are something that is unexpected also. I'm not sure what it is everywhere but in my home community in Southern IL it was under $500 when I did it in the mid 90s. When I moved to CO in mid 2000s, a new house was paying thousands to tie in based off their calculated use.

Folks in the east are used to building ponds wherever they feel like it on their property. That doesn't always fly here unless you own rights to the water in a basin that you are holding water up in. Owning the land is not equivalent to owning water rights. That surface water may well belong to someone downstream. You may think you'll do whatever you want on your land but damn up water flow from someone downstream that has senior water rights and you'll soon learn it's not your water. Ask Colorado about its South Republican Management Area. I believe that's where Kansas challenged them in court and CO was forced to release the water in their existing reservoir.

Also, If you don't use the water rights that you own, they can be taken. I don't know all the legal dealings required but you don't use it, you can lose it.

Water is a big deal everywhere, but it's taken for granted in places with plenty.

"Whiskey is for drinking - Water is for fighting."

- Mark Twain

 

[Dos XX]

"Whiskey is for drinking - Water is for fighting."

- Mark Twain

 

[GSPHUNTER]

When I go in a bar in Wis. and ask for a drink, some bar tenders ask if I want water, I tell them, I'm thirsty not dirty.

 

[AZ8]

Ironically, it’s the people from back East or from wetter climates that move here and want their lush lawns, 4 deer tag quota and complain in the summer on why is it so hot and dry here, or why it doesn’t rain for 8 consecutive months! Lol

Those of us born and raised here understand the limited resources we have.

 

[BadDogPSD]

There have been a few overt efforts in Nevada to put meters on private wells.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

There have been a few overt efforts in Nevada to put meters on private wells.

OH, it's coming.

 

[BBob]

Plus a lot of that runs off into waterways.

Along with a change around here to far more desert landscaping many local ordinances allow and encourage water reclamation. It's mandated locally now for new commercial construction. Our local codes at one time wouldn't allow for any sort of runoff reclamation to direct water into catchments for recharge or irrigation for landscape. We can go as far as to cut and drill curbs to direct water off the street into yard landscape catchments now. Just down the road the city dug huge runoff ponds into the golf course and driving range. They put in a big underground culvert to feed the runoff from all the neighborhoods to the ponds whereas it used to hit a giant concrete ditch and end up dumped outside of town into the desert. It's now all recharged back into the aquifer to feed the local wells which are scattered throughout town.

BTW a cannot think of a single lawn in our extended neighborhood, they are all gone with desert vegetation replacing them. I think this is pretty much the norm throughout town these days.

Didn't Colorado recently change their tune on this and now allows for rain runoff reclamation?

 

[Keptwalkin]

Solution to power in the south is nuclear but thats not going to happen anytime soon. They have no solution for water and conservation can only go so far with population growing along with total usage. Thing is it should be fine for the next 30 years or so. So if I was 65 I wouldnt think twice about moving

 

[5MilesBack]

I can never wrap my head around irrigated lawns.

I wish lawns didn't need to be irrigated here.......that would be great, and much cheaper than the $600/mo we were paying 15 years ago during the summer.

We bought our house here 18 years ago and had a gorgeous yard with lawn in the front, lawn on the side, and lawn and flower gardens in the back on 1/2 acre. About 7-8k square feet of lawn......12 watering zones. Water was expensive during the summer, but we really liked the green yard and all the trees. We had 49 trees at one point. Well, after the city put us on water restrictions I had to choose whether to water the front or the back. I chose the back. The front north side died.

Then they put in a $2 billion water delivery system and treatment plant. Water rates went through the roof, so we cut back. Eventually the back and side lawns died, along with the flower gardens, and several trees. The yard looks like crap now.....all the way around. Weeds and dirt just look bad. We've lost 6 bristlecone pines and several blue spruce. The locust trees are hurting as well from the drought.

I tried to set up my wall tent to dry after taking it down in the rain after hunting season a couple years ago. That was a disaster for trying to keep the tent clean even on tarps. Dirt everywhere.

So this year I decided to put some lawn back in. I just dumped 4 yards of composted cow manure and peat on 1000 square feet and tilled it in this week. I will lay the sod this coming week, and water the heck out of it. It's a far cry from the lawn we had, but we have to have some grass in the yard. An all dirt yard just blows.

 

[MuleyFever]

There would be enough water if there weren't so damn may people. And it gets worst every year, and by that I mean the population.

Except about 75-80% of the available water is used for irrigated agriculture in the SW. Its not the population that lives here using all the water in their homes. Only about 10-20% is used by municipalities, and most of that is used outdoors.

I see large plots of hay getting turned into subdivisions and the truth is that its saving water.

 

[BBob]

Solution to power in the south is nuclear but thats not going to happen anytime soon. They have no solution for water and conservation can only go so far with population growing along with total usage. Thing is it should be fine for the next 30 years or so. So if I was 65 I wouldnt think twice about moving

Nuclear desalination. Eventually they'll have to see the light of nuclear.

I see large plots of hay getting turned into subdivisions and the truth is that its saving water.

Same down here. Over the years the cotton and citrus fields have sold out for water rights and houses.

 

[HuntHarder]

Most people fail to actually understand the water issue. It's not not the cities, it's the agriculture that drains AZ. Arizona actually uses less water overall than they did 20 years ago. The Saudis own a bunch of alfalfa land and have grandfathered water rights. It is a real problem that needs to be addressed. I see some states starting to limit foreign countries from owning agriculture land in their state. Might be a step in the right direction but who knows. Agriculture in the SW sounds Like a bad idea to begin with. Unfortunately, cotton and alfalfa love our climate.

 

[DawnPatrol]

Water flows uphill towards money.

Testify

I'd never heard of a water attorney before moving to Colorado.

Why not? That’s were everybody fights about water. J/k I see your point.

You can't just pop a well in anywhere without significantly more permitting than back East

Unfortunately, I think you significantly overestimate the ability and willingness of most state water agencies to regulate groundwater withdrawals.

I just googled how much lawn fertilizer is used in the US per year. I see results that say 60 to 70 million lbs per year. That is an astounding number.

It’s ridiculous. And as others have said, then it all goes into our waterways.

Eventually they'll have to see the light of nuclear.

I’ll be the first in line to see the light, just as soon as they figure out how to store and safely dispose of all the spent nuclear material we’ve created since 1950. Maybe I’m just biased living downstream of Hanford and upstream of Trojan.