If You Think the Water Crisis Can't Get Worse, Wait Until the Aquifers Are Drained

[IDemo]

Aquifers provide us freshwater that makes up for surface water lost from drought-depleted lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. We are drawing down these hidden, mostly nonrenewable groundwater supplies at unsustainable rates in the western United States and in several dry regions globally, threatening our future.

We are not as adept when threats—or threatened resources—are invisible. Some of us have trouble realizing why invisible carbon emissions are changing the chemistry of the atmosphere and warming the planet. Because the surface of the sea is all we see, it's difficult to understand that we already have taken most of the large fish from the ocean, diminishing a major source of food. Neither of these crises are visible—they are largely out of sight, out of mind—so it's difficult to get excited and respond. Disappearing groundwater is another out-of-sight crisis.

Groundwater comes from aquifers—spongelike gravel and sand-filled underground reservoirs—and we see this water only when it flows from springs and wells. In the United States we rely on this hidden—and shrinking—water supply to meet half our needs, and as drought shrinks surface water in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, we rely on groundwater from aquifers even more. Some shallow aquifers recharge from surface water, but deeper aquifers contain ancient water locked in the earth by changes in geology thousands or millions of years ago. These aquifers typically cannot recharge, and once this "fossil" water is gone, it is gone forever—potentially changing how and where we can live and grow food, among other things.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140819-groundwater-california-drought-aquifers-hidden-crisis/

[Esse Quam Videri]

1. Exactly

Incredible that many (if not all) of the communities that rely on these deep aquifers are still allowing fracking.

[WinkyDink]

7. "ALLOWING"?? It's called Fascism. Communities cannot defeat corporations.

[roody]

12. I'm in No. Cal. and most of the lawns are still green.

Allowing and abetting.

[littlemissmartypants]

19. Spray paint and astroturf businesses are thriving so I've heard. eom

[L0oniX]

42. Resistance is futile ...you will be assimilated!

[4139]

2. Ground water extraction causes as much sealevel rise as melting glacier and icepacks

Groundwater Depletion Linked to Rising Sea Levels
Large-scale groundwater extraction for irrigation, drinking water or industry has resulted in an annual rise in sea levels of approximately 0.8mm - this works out at one quarter of total annual sea-level rise (3.1mm). The remaining total can be attributed to thermal expansion (50%) and run off from glaciers and ice caps (25% approx.).
http://www.waterworld.com/articles/2010/11/groundwater-depletion-linked-to-rising.html

[theHandpuppet]

15. Interesting. I hadn't even considered this as a factor.

Thanks for the info.

[littlemissmartypants]

20. Ditto. eom

[Agschmid]

3. Kick!

[iamthebandfanman]

4. then the snowball effect..

as those who lost water move to other locations with a limited source as well.. so then that source fails more quickly.. now all of them move to the next source .. and so on and so forth...

[littlemissmartypants]

21. Agreed.

And the world population increases.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

53. Only those who can afford to do so.

Which is yet another reason why many in the 1% want to keep the rest of us poor. They can see the writing on the wall, and it's only human nature to want to keep scarce resources for yourself and those close to you. It would be better for all, though, if they would help instead to move us to ways that help make sure those resources don't become scarce in the first place, such as not polluting our aquifers while trying to become 'energy independent' by fracking for natural gas.

[littlemissmartypants]

5. Kicking. Thank you, IDemo.

A thoughtful post. I concur we have a problem with this life sustaining necessity.
Fasten your seat belt, could be a bumpy ride.

Love, Peace and Shelter.
~ Lmsp

[L0oniX]

11. I love steak but crops used to support meat and ethanol consumption IMO are...

not necessary for survival. The amount of water and land used to grow these kinds of crops is almost obscene.

[littlemissmartypants]

16. There are other farming methods that are not as

Detrimental to the water supply. We have been industrialized not only as evidenced by the militarized police but in the loss of connection between ourselves, the land and food. But then land isn't necessary for farming either. Food is fuel. The farm should be a pharmacy.

Ethanol we can process from grass crops.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/grass-makes-better-ethanol-than-corn/

Just me babbling.

Love, Peace and the Righteous Fight.
~ Lmsp

[WinkyDink]

6. Who's this "you"? I can so think, and do.

[mackerel]

8. It's obvious population control is a source of the problem

but nobody likes to talk about it here in the U.S.

[L0oniX]

10. Water used for crops not vital to survival is surmount.

Eliminate crops for meat and ethanol consumption ...that will go a very long way to keeping usable water.

[redqueen]

27. Source?

[RKP5637]

28. It is, none want to hear it or admit it ... but in a finite space, one can not

keep populating and populating ... it's a very simple concept ... but many humans live in and thrive on denial.

[BlueJazz]

29. Bingo! If we, as a species, were not trying to populate every square inch of this planet,

....90 percent of our long term problems would not even exist.

[raccoon]

43. It's obvious First World citizens use the lion's share of the earth's resources,

but nobody wants to talk about it here in the US, even on DU.

[Starry Messenger]

50. Are you volunteering?

[raven mad]

62. I did.

2 people, 1 marriage, 1 child. By choice.

[L0oniX]

9. Drinkable water is THE most vital resource.

[RKP5637]

30. Yep, forget oil, now drinkable water will be held hostage for $$$$$. n/t

[L0oniX]

33. We'll be at war with Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada soon.

[corkhead]

37. ...FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS111!!!11

[Spitfire of ATJ]

39. Shouldn't that be "cold wet hands"?

[Pathwalker]

45. There are more states than that bordering the Great Lakes.

Then, there's that Great Lakes Compact thingy....

[L0oniX]

47. Do you really want post Detroit/Chicago water? I'm thinking Lake Superior.

[Pathwalker]

48. That WOULD start a war. I don't know about other states, but we

Michiganders/Michiganians are very, very possessive about "our" lakes, and the waters within them. I don't see Canadians, as nice as they are, going along with draining the Lakes either, but you're welcome to all our excess snow this winter.

[NJCher]

13. drip irrigation

Should have been implemented a long time ago. Farmers are slow to adopt, but incentives should have been offered. The amount of waste with other forms of irrigation (such as center pivot) is something like 70 per cent lost into the air.

Furthermore, plants thrive with drip irrigation.

In this picture, you can see the air dispersing into the air.



How simple is that? !?!?!?!?


Cher

[KurtNYC]

24. you can't drip irrigate corn, soy, wheat, etc

only row crops.

Water that goes into the air falls to the ground.

[NJCher]

59. corn is a row crop

Hey, 'yer talking to a former Nebraskan. I know center pivot. I grew up around it.

It wouldn't be hard to innovate a drip system to accommodate any type of crop.

I don't believe you're correct about it falling to the ground. I've read otherwise.



Cher

[malthaussen]

14. Sooner or later, the fossil water will run out.

So conservation efforts are just an attempt to push the inevitable off onto another generation. It would be useful to find some alternatives before the crisis occurs, but people seem to be innately reckless about their use of non-renewable resources.

-- Mal

[littlemissmartypants]

17. I concur.

But it is difficult to think beyond that horizon of hunger, the hunt and oppression.
Daily struggles often don't allow time to even think.

Interesting post.

~Lmsp

[asiliveandbreathe]

18. AZ Water Resource Dept continues to approve tapping aquifer for golf courses

just this past year AZ WRD approved another well for a golf course - I am on record with our city water dept. as well as the AWRD - why not use "reclaimed" water? (some do, I will say, but not ours) - our city water manager is knowledgeable and on record basically saying "we may not have a crisis yet, but is just a matter of time - she (city water manager) doesn't have any power over the state...I just say "HELLO" - is anyone listening?

[Divernan]

32. Aye, lads and lasses - go back to the original golf courses!

When roughs were really roughs, golfers carried their own clubs and didn't ride in golf carts, and the greens were not watered and manicured to have the consistency of green velvet.

A few years ago, the World Water Forum designated the US as the most wasteful water user in the world. And the key reason given for this liquid licentiousness? No, not all those super-sized sodas. Not the profligacy of back-garden swimming pools. Not leaving taps on during lengthy teeth-whitening sessions. No, the key culprit was golf.

Keeping 25,000-odd golf courses pristine green, particularly those out in the desert, requires a lot of water. And a lot of pesticides, too. The view from the air as you fly into Las Vegas is peppered with splodges of neon green courses. That's not natural. A golf course manager can use more pesticides on his land than a farmer. You may not eat a golf course, but the run-off into rivers and the leakage into the soil can be hugely problematic.

Then there are all the motorised golf carts, plastic balls mishit into woods and off cliffs into the sea, and the fact that few courses are well connected with public transport - the sight of a golfer on a bus with his clubs must be rarer than a round of hole-in-ones. It all adds up to an uncomfortable dilemma for the golf-loving green worker. If your happiness, your business deals or your stress management relies on a regular round of golf, what can you do?

Firstly, choose your course wisely. A course designed and managed with respect for the natural environment can actually have ecological benefits, such as providing natural wildlife habitats and corridors in or around urbanised areas. While there is no recognised green label for golf courses, hundreds in England and Scotland have signed up to national initiatives such as Golf Environment Europe to improve their environmental impact. Ask your local course about its green policy, and if the manager looks at you like you are a mad, woolly leftie who needs chasing away with a nine iron, consider taking your checked trousers elsewhere.

If you are heading off on a business trip somewhere hot and dry - such as Las Vegas - then think twice about packing your clubs. At least in the UK we have lots of rain to help keep the fairways green, but in countries such as Spain or Dubai golf courses can often use more water than a small town.

To ease your emissions that little bit extra, decline the golf cart and get some exercise, and pack some biodegradable golf balls and environmentally friendly tees.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ethicallivingblog/2008/aug/03/golfswaterwastemeansonlyt

[Go Vols]

22. more

http://water.usgs.gov/edu/gwdepletion.html

[F4lconF16]

44. Interesting. How do you have

negative groundwater depletion in the Pacific NW? I'm sure the answer is obvious but I'm missing something here.

Thanks for the chart!

[CrispyQ]

52. Only the coastal areas get a lot of rain.

[link:|

[F4lconF16]

56. I'm still missing something.

I know the coast is wetter (been rained on enough that I figured it out ), but I still don't get the negative groundwater depletion. Does that mean groundwater has increased in those areas? As in filled in again? Or does it mean something else entirely?

[IDemo]

60. The blue area in southern Idaho is the Snake River aquifer

It has historically received "recharging" via drainage from the extensive irrigation system fed by the Snake River.

more -> http://academic.emporia.edu/schulmem/hydro/TERM%20PROJECTS/Geller/Eastern%20Snake%20River%20Plain%20Aquifer.html

[F4lconF16]

61. That makes sense!

Thanks!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

54. I grew up in that big red stripey spot

NE corner of Colorado..
Growing up our water tasted so pure, we would pack 5 gallon tanks of it to take up to the mountain cabin cause the water in Fort Collins tasted worse.
Now, everyone in town has to filter the water, it's horrible.. so laced with minerals that it's undrinkable and it ruins coffee pots and dishwashers. All the good water is gone and they're drinking the dregs of the aquifer.
I'm 45 now, and the water was fine when I left in my 20's. It makes me so sad.

[CrispyQ]

55. This one should piss all of us off.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/08/bottled-water-california-drought





STOP BUYING BOTTLED WATER, PEOPLE!!!

[EEO]

23. A perfect storm is coming, and water scarcity is going to be a large part of it.

[valerief]

25. Yes, but the .01% will have their water-making machines (for themselves)

and will still be wealthy from fracking. That's all that matters in this world. If it weren't, there'd be more sharing.

[HoosierCowboy]

26. If You Think the Social Crisis Can't Get Worse...

...wait until the store shelves are empty.

[RKP5637]

31. Yep! n/t

[Calista241]

34. They'll make GMO foods that require less water. n/t

[Spitfire of ATJ]

35. There's been a dream for years of a transcontinental aqueduct...

The West could be a garden with the excess water from the East.

And before someone says there is no "excess water",...oh sure,...none of the fresh water from the Mississippi makes it to the sea.

[IDemo]

36. Water making it to the sea doesn't mean it's excess

That argument was brought up in the early 90's by a Los Angeles politican who proposed an aqueduct from the Snake/Columbia river system to supply California's water needs. His reasoning was that water was "wasted" if any remained at the mouth of the Columbia. He was promptly corrected.

Besides the fact that migrating fish rely on the flow of water to make it from the ocean to spawning grounds and allow their offspring to make the reverse voyage, a certain minimum flow is necessary to maintain cooler temps and oxygen levels in the water.

Rivers also serve to replenish ground water and to supply the populations surrounding them with drinking and agricultural water. Any water management official would take vigorous exception to the notion of 'wasted water'.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

38. Even when we see this...

[IDemo]

40. Flood waters are neither predictable nor easily harvested

Do we want to spend billions on constructing the ditches, pipelines, canals and pumping stations to gather water that cannot be relied on to be in the same place or in the same quantity from year to year? While there is no argument that a significant amount of water exists at any given instance of flooding, it doesn't reliably find itself flowing into major (or even minor) river systems. And even if we did build pipelines East to West, it takes an enormous amount of energy to move that water, energy which would be better used for desalination.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

41. We already DO a lot of that mostly to back up water into rural areas to protect urban areas....

[Octafish]

46. Paraguay. BFEE's way ahead of us...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3183814

[KamaAina]

49. California does not even bother to regulate groundwater!

You find it, it's yours. You can even bottle it and sell it back East if you'd like, just like Nestle does.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025243385

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025367256

[CrispyQ]

57. These are insane policies that we are going to regret in a very short amount of time.

Our species is barreling toward a brick wall & we are partying like it's 1999, confident that our big brain will solve all our problems. It's our big brain that got us into this mess. I don't see a happy outcome for humanity.

[madville]

51. More desalination?

They should be building more desalination plants up and down the California coast to prepare for when the traditional water runs out over there. Hopefully they can do it with primarily solar and wind energy.

[mackerel]

58. Somebody mentioned to me earlier in the week that they're seriously considering a desalinization

plant in San Diego, similar to what they have in Israel.