Water, fresh potable water, is something that we all take for granted in our everyday lives. We drink it, bathe in it, use it in our industries and yes, even fish in it. With the United States’ population continuing to grow we are faced with an ever-increasing demand for water. In the western states the majority of their freshwater comes from the melting snow pack in the Rocky Mountains. Over the last 35 years the average temperature across the west has increased one to three degrees. These warmer conditions have lead to the snow pack melting up to three weeks earlier than normal. With the creation of wet conditions and warmer temperatures there has been a surge in the growth of woody plants in the west. Because of the western states increased water usage and the changes in availability water conservation districts are instituting water rationing to farmers. As an example in Pershing County, Nevada farmers are allotted only a fraction of the water needed to farm all their land. The county’s reservoir is at 17% of capacity and falling. With nine western states facing drought conditions for the sixth year in a row steps are being implemented to conserve the vanishing water. In Denver, Colorado 1.2 million residents are allowed to water their lawns only twice a week. Without the spring rains more radical steps will be taken and severe cost increases are envisioned. With timber and soils very dry several states are on an extremely high forest fire alert. In Montana trout fishing guides will shut down operations early if the rains do not come soon. Hundreds of small cattle ranches are facing foreclosure due to the lack of forage from water shortages and rationing. These water usage regulations both enacted and proposed are only short-term actions that will not do anything to increase the amount of water available. California is taking a more long-term approach to the problem through the building desalination plants. There are currently 20 desalinations plants of various capacities under construction in the Golden State. The largest is a proposed plant in San Diego that will produce 50 million gallons of drinking water a day. Desalination is not cheap and an acre-foot of desalinated water costs about $1,000. An acre-foot of water is about enough to supply a family for a year. If all plants were to come on line the needs of about one million California residents would be met. Even water rich Alabama has started to feel the pressure of water shortages. Georgia has stated that it will sharply cutback on the water from its Altoona reservoir to Alabama. This reservoir is the major water supply to Atlanta and its level has been dropping critically. The line from the ‘Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge seems to apply – ‘nor a drop to drink’.

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