Known as one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world, since it opened its doors on Earth Day in 2013 the Bullitt Center has been setting a new standard for sustainable design. He said hes open to one but doesnt think its necessary. Experts we spoke with agreed the feat would be astronomical. USGS 05587500 Mississippi River at Alton, IL. Conservation alternatives are less palatable than big infrastructure projects, but theyre also more achievable. Inspired by Mao Zedong, who in 1952 observed, "The south has plenty of water and the north lacks it, so if possible why not borrow some?" Martinez, an engineer who oversaw the construction of pipelines in the Sierra Nevada for Southern California Edison, agrees a 1,500-mile pipeline from the Mississippicould physically be built. In their technical report, which hasnt been peer-reviewed, they calculated that a pipe for moving this scale of water would need to be 88 feet in diameter around twice the length of a semi trailer or a 100-foot-wide channel thats 61 feet deep. If you dont have enough of it, go find more. 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. Grab hydrogen and oxygen from the air and make artificialrain. 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. To the editor: I'd like to ask if the reader from Chatsworth calling for the construction of a water pipeline from the Mississippi River to Colorado River reservoirs has ever been to . . I find it interesting that households have to watch how much water theyare usingfor washing clothes, wateringlawns, washing cars,etc. I have dystopian nightmares aboutpipelines marching across the landscape, saidglobal water scarcity expert Jay Famiglietti. In 1964, a California engineering company proposed diverting flows from the Yukon and Mackenzie River watersheds, shared by Canada and the U.S., all the way to southern California and into Mexico. We've had relatively rich resources for so long,we've never really had to deal withthis before, andwe don't want to change.". But moving water from one drought-impacted area to another is not a solution.. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. Petition End Floods in America by Creating a Pipeline Network to Coffey said the project isn't really a pipeline, but more "a bypass for an aging 60-year-old"system. Title: USGS Surface-Water Daily Data for the Nation URL: https://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/dv? 2023 www.desertsun.com. Gavin Newsom reaffirming his support for the ambitious proposal. Even smaller projects stand to be derailed by similar hiccups. It was the Bureau of Reclamation. and planned for completion in 2050, it willdivert 44.8 billion cubic metersof water annually to major cities and agricultural and industrial centers in the parchednorth. Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesn't always have enough water to spare. The elephant in the room, according to Fort, is agriculture, which accounts for more than 80 percent of water withdrawals from the Colorado River. Booming Utah metro wants to pipe in water from Lake Powell so it can he said. No. We can move water, and weve proven our desire to do it. PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION. Paffrath proposed building a pipeline from the Mississippi River to bring water to drought-stricken California. Under the analyzed scenario, water would be conveyed to Colorados Front Range and areas of New Mexico to help fulfill water needs. Arizona state legislators asked Congress to consider a pipeline that dumps Mississippi water into the Green River, but there are alternate possibilities. The Mississippi used to flow through a delta full of bayous, shifting sad bars, And islets. Proposed interstate water pipelines to California - Wikipedia Why are they so hard to catch? 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. Is pumping Mississippi River water west a solution or pipe dream? General Manager Henry Martinez also warned that cutting water to Imperial Valley farmers and nearby Yuma County, Arizona, could lead to a food crisis as well as a water crisis. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. Haul icebergs from the Arctic to a new southern California port. Diverting that water also means spreading problems, like pollutants, excessive nutrients and invasive species. People need to focus on their realistic solutions.. About 33% of vegetables and 66% of fruits and nuts are produced in California for consumption for the nation. To Larsons knowledge, an in-depth feasibility study specifically on pumping Mississippi River water to the West hasnt been conducted yet. Moving water from the Mississippi River to west would require massive Infrastructure is one of the few ways well turn things around to assure that theres some supply.. Yes, it would be hugely expensive. Flooding along the Mississippi River basin appears to have become more frequent in recent years, as has the [] As part of our commitment to sustainability, in 2021 Grist moved its office headquarters to the Bullitt Center in Seattles vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood. Steps are being taken to address water issues in Buckeye. Studies and modern-day engineering have proven that such projects are possible but require decades of construction and billions of dollars. A multi-state compact already prohibits any sale of water from the Great Lakes unless all bordering states agree to it, and its almost certain that Mississippi River states would pass laws restricting water diversions, or file lawsuits against western states, if the project went forward. Twitter, Follow us on A plan to divert Mississippi flood waters to west is proposed The Colorado River's 1922 compact allocated about 23% of the Upper Basin's water to Utah, and the state uses about 72% of that water. And, here in the land of the midnight 90-degree temperatures, we are building our very own ice hockey rink, because there is more than enough electricity to freeze that body of water and keep the arena cold enough to keep the ice from melting. "I started withtoilets, I was the toilet queen of L.A.," said Westford. Who is going to come to the desert and use it? This summer, as seven states and Mexico push to meet a Tuesday deadline to agree on plans to shore up the Colorado River and itsshrivelingreservoirs, retired engineer Don Siefkes of San Leandro, California,wrote a letter to The Desert Sun with what he said was asolution to the West's water woes: build an aqueduct from the Old River Control Structure to Lake Powell, 1,489 miles west, to refill the Colorado River system with Mississippi River water. Your support keeps our unbiased, nonprofit news free. 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. Two hundred miles north of New Orleans, in the heart of swampy Cajun country, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1963 cut a rogue arm of the Mississippi River in half with giant levees to keep the main river intact and flowing to the Gulf of Mexico. "I'm an optimist," said Coffey, who said local conservation is key. The memorial also suggests that the pipeline could be used as stormwater infrastructure to prevent regular flooding along the . Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. Can you solve drought by piping water across the country? - New York Times What states in the Southwest have failed to do is curtail growth and agriculture that is, of course, water-driven. The other alternatives have political costs, and they have costs that are maybe more likely to be borne locally, including by farmers and other large water users, she said. Here's How. These realities havent stopped the Wests would-be water barons from dreaming. Talk about a job-creating infrastructure project, which would rivalthe tremendous civilengineering feats our country used to be noted for. Simulation of monthly mean and monthly base flow of streamflow using But interest spans deeper than that. And biologists andenvironmental attorneys saidNew Orleans and the Louisiana coast, along with the interior swamplands, need every drop of muddy Mississippi water. To the editor: While theres no question that the receding waters of Lake Mead are having a detrimental effect on recreation and tourism, the real looming catastrophe is that if the water level of the nations largest reservoir continues to fall and hits a certain level, the hydroeclectic power plant at Hoover Dam will have to shut down. Water pipeline not feasible - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper 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. The actual costs to build such a pipeline today would likely be orders of magnitude higher, thanks to inflation and inevitable construction snags. Booming Utah metro wants to pipe in water from Lake Powell so it can Newsom said the state must capture 100 million metric tons of carbon each year by 2045 about a quarter of what the state now emits annually. Stories of similar projects often share the same ending, from proposals in Iowa and Minnesota to those between Canada and the United States. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. Pipelines usually consist of sections of pipe made of . Gavin Newsom also touted desalination in adrought resilience plan he announcedlast week, though in brackish inland areas. Once again, Arizona hopes to import out-of-state water in face of crisis Every year, NAWAPA would deliver 158 million acre-feet of water to the US, Canada, and Mexico more than 10 times the annual flow of the Colorado River. Amid a major drought in the Western U.S., a proposed solution comes up repeatedly: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to parched states. Donate today to keep our climate news free. Do they thank us for using our water? Filling Lake Mead with Mississippi River Water No Longer a Pipe Dream. The lawsuit, originally filed in southern Texas' federal courts Jan. 18, was amended to include Idaho on Monday. The pipeline would help it tap another 86,000 acre-feet of . Meanwhile, watershed states in the U.S., and even counties havetaken actionto preventsuch schemes. But it's doable. She points to her earlyworkfor comparison. Senior citizens dont go to wave parks. Scientists estimate a football field's worth of Louisiana coast is lost every 60 to 90 minutes. They includegawky pink roseate spoonbills, tiny bright yellow warblers, known as swamp candles because of their bright glow in the humid, green woods, and more. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? "Yes, a Superior-Green River pipeline seems unrealistic, even impossible at first glance," Huttner wrote for Minnesota Public Radio. About 60% of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity. Last updated on: February 10, 2023, 10:54h. [1] A man from Minnesota wrote to the Palm Springs Desert Sun earlier this month and expressed similar sentiments, warning, If California comes for Midwest water, we have plenty of dynamite.. 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 Western U.S. is experiencing its driest period in more than a thousand years, according to scientists from UCLA and Columbia University. 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. "I think that societally, we want to be more flexible. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) Waves of torrential rainfall drenched California into the new year. What goes into the cat-and-mouse game of forecasting Colorados avalanche risks? Many sawSiefkes' idea and others like it as sheer theft by a region that needs to fix its own woes. Its much easier to [propose] a shining pipeline from the Mississippi River that will never be built than it is to grapple with this really unpleasant truth.. Water from these and other large rivers pour. California Gov. Arizona needs water. But a Mississippi pipeline is a pipe dream That's a big pipe: Retired engineer suggests aqueduct from Mississippi 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 idea is as old and dusty as the desert Southwest: Pipe abundant Great Lakes water to parched cities out West, such as Phoenix and Las Vegas. Rescue the oceans from the pollution that flood waters pick up and dump into the ocean, creating dead zones. Yet their persistence in the public sphere illustrates the growing desperation of Western states to dig themselves out of droughts. To support our nonprofit environmental journalism, please consider disabling your ad-blocker to allow ads on Grist. But interest spans deeper than that. These canals and pipelines are . You couldbuild a pipeline from the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers. Environmental writerMarc Reisner said the plan was one of "brutal magnificence" and "unprecedented destructiveness." But if areas like the Coachella Valley continue to approve surf waveparks and "beachfront" developments in the desert, "we're screwed," he said bluntly. For one, theres no longer enough unclaimed water to make most pipeline projects cost-effective. There are at least half a dozen major water pipeline projects under consideration throughout the region, ranging from ambitious to outlandish. Leading environmental engineering firm to study alternative water Pipeline from the Mississippi River to Colorado? - Coyote Gulch Tribes in the Colorado River Basin are fighting for their water. Arizona lawmakers want to build a pipeline from the Mississippi River more than a thousand miles away, a Colorado rancher wants to pipe water 300 miles across the Rockies, and Utah wants to pump even more water out of the already-depleted Lake Powell. Either way, most of these projects stand little chance of becoming reality theyre ideas from a bygone era, one that has more in common with the world of Chinatown than the parched west of the present. . It might be in the trillions, but it probably does exist.. But, he said, the days of mega-pipelines in the U.S. are likely over due to lack of environmental and political will. Snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have swelled to more than 200% their normal size, and snowfall across the rest of the Colorado River Basin is trending above average, too. But, as water scarcity in the West gets more desperate, the hurdles could be overcome one day. All rights reserved. Experts we spoke with agreed the feat would be astronomical. It would cost at least $1,700 per acre-feet of water, potentially yield 600,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2060 and take 30 years to construct. California wants to build a $16 billion pipeline to draw water out of the Sacramento River Delta and down to the southern part of the state, but critics say the project would deprive Delta farmers of water and destroy local ecosystems. All rights reserved. Citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi south of the Old River Control Structure dont need all that water. The state also set aside funds in 2018 to study possible imports from the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers, but to date, the study hasnt been done, he said. Opinion: How has American healthcare gone so wrong? Stop letting excess water flow out to sea. A Mississippi pipeline to Lake Powell would need to cut across four states, he and Johnson said, including hundreds of miles of wetlands in Louisiana and west Texas. The letter and others with an array of ideasgenerated hugeinterest from readers around the country and debate about whether the conceptsare technically feasible, politically possible orenvironmentally wise. 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. Why does California want to build a $16 billion water pipeline? Hydrologic Unit Code 07110009. Drought conditions plagued the region throughout 2022, prompting concerns over river navigation. Snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have swelled to more than 200 percent of their normal size, and snowfall across the rest of the Colorado River Basin is trending above average, too. Yet some smaller-scale projects have become reality. "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 . Water use has gone down 40% per capita in recent years, said Coffey. Diverting that water also means spreading problems, like pollutants, excessive nutrients, and invasive species. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. 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? Parsons said theplanwould replenishthe upper Missouri and Mississippi Rivers during dry spells, increase hydropower along the Columbia Riverand stabilize the Great Lakes.
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