[GWSG] Catching rain; CA cuts water; a drying West; Las Vegas vs. sprinklers; Ogallala Aquifer; Klamath River problems global

[Tilley, Al]

1. As aquifers fail and drought takes hold, harvesting rainwater is likely to become more popular. Here are stories about how some people are doing it in the US. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/08/us-west-rain-harvesters-rainwater-collection-drought-heatwave

2. To cope with the current drought, Governor Newsom has asked Californians to cut their water consumption by 15%. https://climatecrocks.com/2021/07/08/californians-asked-to-cut-water-use/

3. The US drought monitor shows that CA is not alone. https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
Here is a map of groundwater depletion in the US. https://www.americangeosciences.org/critical-issues/maps/groundwater-depletion-map-united-states

4. Las Vegas employs almost 50 water waste investigators to track misuse of water in what is more and more blatantly a desert as Lake Mead, its reservoir, diminishes. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jul/09/las-vegas-climate-change-drought-water-conservation

5. While you are thinking about Western water, consider the shrinking Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies 30% of US irrigation water and the drinking water for people in portions of eight states. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer

6. Water stress in the Klamath River Basin of Southern Oregon and Northern California is leading to hovering bankruptcy for farmers, cultural stress and hunger for Indians, and a surge of right-wing activity. People want things to stay the same. They can’t. Accommodation to the developing crisis can only come from cooperating leadership among Indians and the famers. Finally, though, the solution must come through decisive climate action. The fight for the Klamath River Basin is going on against the interests of the coal, oil, and gas industry in Washington and all the other capitols of the world.  I found the story’s 16 minutes video well done and worth the time.  https://nexusmedianews.com/klamath-river-basin/

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