“During the last two decades of drought, and particularly in recent years, the flow of the river has decreased, but states continue to consume more of what the river provides, according to a framework established a century ago”. To resolve the situation, the problem is how to balance the cuts between agricultural regions and those in cities, including major population centers. Agriculture uses about 80 percent of the river’s water and it also tends to have the largest rights, some dating back to the 19th century. The way this works “priority system”.
Do not think that I mean the transfer Tajo-Segura, nor to that of Júcar-Vinalopó; but to the North American States -the equivalent of our autonomous communities here- that depend on the Colorado River to sustain their farms and cities: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and California (only the latter has a gross domestic product ( GDP) similar to that of Spain and about 40 million inhabitants).
They have not reached an agreement on the water use restriction which may force the Biden federal government to make unilateral cuts this year. The opposition came from California, which is the largest consumer and would have to reduce its rights to 4.4 million acres/feet of water (one acre/foot equals 1,238 cubic meters), cutting it by more than one million. Of the two to four required by the federal government. The other six states have recognized that “over the last twenty years, there is simply far less water flowing into the river system than it is leaving, and that we have effectively run out of storage to deplete.” As well as for Mexico, which has treaty rights to part of the river’s water; just like Portugal here on the Tagus.
The president of the irrigators there -Imperial Irrigation District-, pointed out that water rights among farmers in his area of California near the border with Mexico are prior to the formation that manages the fluvial system. Its water district uses about 2.6 million acre-feet per year, to irrigate more than 400,000 acres (one acre equals 0.5 Ha.) of alfalfa, grass, and other cropland. “We support the priority system on the river and we also understand the painful cuts people need to make, but we will not serve as an emergency reservoir for uncontrollable and unsustainable urban sprawl. We will not destroy our local economy so they can continue to grow their urban economy”. The Biden administration has offered $250 million to environmental projects. They still don’t talk about desalination plants, but we have to give them time. A researcher and expert on the Colorado River has said that “there is a aridification problem, but besides that, there is a problem with the rules. The rules that govern the system are not sustainable.” (Quotes are from Joshua Partlow, in the Washington Post, 31-I-2023).
The State Department released details about China’s high-altitude balloon surveillance program, declassifying information collected by US U-2 spy planes and other sources to expose what the Biden administration calls a sophisticated effort to monitor more than 40 countries on the five continents. “Instances of this type of balloon activity have been previously observed in recent years,” said Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary. “Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the previous administration”, that of Trump. They preferred to keep an eye on them to find out what they wanted to know.
President Joe Biden did not cite anything from the drought issue in his State of the Union address, although he will have to address that soon. Neither of the spy balloons that were called UFOs, until the information was declassified. Yes, he highly praised the bipartisanship that he will need to approve the maximum deficit and focused largely on support american manufacturing and with products made in the United States. And the allies?
“One balloon, two balloons, three balloons… the moon is a balloon that escaped me… And the Earth is a globe where I live”, said the children’s song on TV in the 70s. Artificial intelligence has diagnosed -moral considerations aside, only efficiency- that without mankind climate change would stop. And if we don’t stop him, he will stop us, I add.
