The so-called water crisis is the result of intentional and unintentional human actions. These actions have been mostly inspired by the drive for human survival or financial profit. The term water crisis is a very broad terminology for describing the state of our water resources. Exposed bedrock in lake Mead is an alarming sight but that does not necessarily call for a water crisis. The lower levels in lake Mead mean that seven states in the U.S. now have less municipal water for companies and residents to use for drinking, hygiene, recreation and religious purposes. The 726-ft tall Hoover Dam is what holds back the Colorado River to create lake Mead and provide electricity to Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. People living in these areas are facing more than just a water crisis. An energy crisis is also at stake when water levels in lake Mead are low, which raises the cost of living for residents and limits the use of the water supply. Setting limits for municipal water usage can be an extremely positive goal for cities with a limited supply, if everyone is still able to gain access to the water.
The water crisis in the Colorado River basin is a regional crisis but this issue is an example of how human actions that directly influence natural resources have a major impact on the quality of life on a larger scale than intended. If the initial plan of building the Hoover dam was to stop the Colorado river from flowing into Mexico and reaching the Gulf of California, the construction may not have been approved. However, since the year 2000 the Colorado has not reached the Gulf and instead empties into a desert south of the Sierra de Juarez Mountains. Information from the USGS Water Science School and NASA Earth Observatory satellite photos shows the image below of what it looks like when only 10% of water the from the Colorado river flows into Mexico.
The International Bottling Water Association (IBWA) works with regulations from the FDA to provide drinking water to any member. This trade association reports to have a $62 billion direct impact on the U.S. economy while providing 283,546 U.S. jobs. In 2022 IBWA sold 15.9 billion gallons of bottled water with sales earning up to $46 billion (https://bottledwater.org/about-ibwa/) The image below is provided by the Unite d States Geological Survey (USGS) and displays the bottling facilities that operate with water use data represented as a blue dot and the bottling facilities that operate without water use data represented as a grey dot.
Water pollution is extremely important and stems beyond just drinking water as so many people would only think. Other impacts would be things like marine life animals and ecosystems. Amazing post and I like how you mention how much water is consumed in each state. It might just be my computer but the text is a little harder to read.
ReplyDeleteIncorporating the amount of water that is sold, shows a lot more than just water pollution, it shows the sales as well which I believe is extremely relevant to your blog topic.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the water crisis in the world is one of the most important thing that needs to be protected, because if we don't have access to clean water, than a lot of people won't live. We use fresh and clean water for so much other than just drinking, but we use it to bathe and wash our hands, without it, like would be a lot harder.
ReplyDeleteThe situation with Lake Mead and the Colorado River shows how human actions can unintentionally cause long-term problems for entire regions. The interconnection between water and other critical resources like the economy is very important and not thought of quite often. I never knew how bottled water plays such an important role in the economy.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you described water as a multi-purpose resource that its scarcity and pollution often goes unnoticed by many Americans who take the resource that should be renewable for granted. I also appreciate how you described these effects of climate change in multiple locations, noting these impacts from a broadened perspective. This is a well done and effective post.
ReplyDeleteAwesome write-up! You really broke down the water crisis in a way that's easy to understand but still super eye-opening. I had no idea the Colorado River barely makes it to Mexico anymore—that's wild! Love how you tied the water and energy issues together too. It’s crazy to think how much something like the Hoover Dam impacts so many lives and ecosystems. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a big issue and everyone has their own opinions on what the solutions are so how is anyone to come to a conclusion? This is well written and gives some great history on why and what happened with the water. I always found it sad that we drained a massive lake in California overtime due to our negligence and now we are trying to do the same from the Colorado river. Where will it end? Will we need to drain Lake Michigan for the SW states as well?
ReplyDeleteThis was such a great post and such a big issue. Safe drinking water is a necessity and its starting to run out as populations are only increasing. I am glad you gave the photos and diagrams for those who are visual learners. I think that you hit all the main points and did a great job at explaining why and how much of an issue this is.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you pointed out that lack of drinking water and revisors not only impact access to safe water but also threaten energy needs. I really liked the USGS map that you used and it makes me curious especially as a Michigan resident how the burden of providing clean drinking water may affect our state. Especially with recent conflict with Nestle and other bottling corporations that damage Michigan ecosystems and extract resources.