(AmericanProsperity.com) – Researchers have finally been able to quantify just how much water is being taken from the Colorado River for agricultural use. It’s said that more than half of the Colorado River’s water is being taken and used for Western U.S. agriculture.
The water from this river has not reached its delta for more than fifty years because of how much of it is used. The report showed that the water is being used in states such as Arizona and California. However, there are negotiations going on right now to conserve the water coming from the river.
Irrigated farms are taking on a huge part of the water consumption as they are using about three times more water than all of the cities and industries combined. They said that two crops that were a part of the significant usage of the water were alfalfa and grass haze which are used for cattle feed.
The Colorado River has much less volume than it once did and it’s expected to drop by thirty per cent by 2050 especially if temperatures continue to rise. This is not the only body of water that’s below their usual levels as there is a trend that researchers are seeing across the states.
According to Brian Richter, who authored the report and research paper, there needs to be a huge change in the amount of water we are using to avoid a shortage.
Says Richter, “Right now, it’s very difficult for people to plan when they don’t really know how much water’s going to be available — even next year.”
He also said that there is a push for farmers to cut down on water and to get used to working with less as that may be the way of the future. There is also a change in the amount or type of crops that may be grown in that area as well due to the lack of water availability.
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