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8to24 t1_iucye1m wrote

For a generation officials have just tried to wait out droughts. Put mild water restrictions in place while waiting for a rainy year or heavy snow pack to come. Little has been done to improve local infrastructure. Praying for rain isn't good governance.

Over 70 percent of the planet is water. not just that but all water is recycled. Having useable water should be one of the easiest problems to solve. We've just committed ourselves to wasteful practices.

For starters we need to cultivate more crops that can tolerate saltwater. Edible plants like Marsh Samphire, Sea Peas, Sea Parsley, seaweed, sea fennel, Kelp, etc. These can be eaten like other veggies or dried and turned into flours that could fortify other food products (chips, cereal, bread, pasta, etc). While heavier minerals exist in these plants little effort has been made to tackle that challenge. Maize became corn and apples are cloned. A lot of the veggies and grains we eat have been modified.

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aukir t1_iudkdzw wrote

Can we just stop wasting water on most grass lawns?

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8to24 t1_iudkuny wrote

Lawns, golf courses, washing cars, flushing toilets, etc

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Kytyngurl2 t1_iudoog4 wrote

Toilets ought to be grey water only. Using old shower, laundry, and rain water. We throw away water that’s still usable for something.

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thintoast t1_iudpjub wrote

I’m not sure how common it is, but when I visited Ireland a few years back, a place we stayed at had a rainwater collection tank that held partially treated water for toilet flushing and bathroom hand washing. A super simple concept and extremely resourceful.

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H3rbert_K0rnfeld t1_iudxr5k wrote

You don't want to get caught with a rain barrel in Utah or Cali

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Celesticle t1_iudy63x wrote

Rain barrels are legal in Utah now have been for a few years.

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H3rbert_K0rnfeld t1_iue07av wrote

Ah! TIL! Now ya'll just need rain to fill them ;-)

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Celesticle t1_iue1hwx wrote

Yeah that would be lovely. Consistent rain anyway. We got sporadic heavy rain over the summer. Plenty of floods in Southern Utah, Moab hit hard a few times, but Great Salt Lake is dangerously low and our legislature is incompetent and greedy so I have little faith they'll fix anything before it's too late.

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SNRatio t1_iue6og6 wrote

They're fine in California, at least where I live. I have three near my front door.

7

[deleted] t1_iudtci2 wrote

Population of Ireland 4.6 million

Population of the United States 326 million

Population of China 1.39 Billion

You see how rain barrels aren't going to scale?

−31

strausbreezy28 t1_iudvzhp wrote

This is a silly comment. You would need to do an analysis that involves population, population density, rainfall, rainfall density and frequency, etc. in order to say whether or not that kind of system would scale. Not just looking at population.

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MyNameis_Not_Sure t1_iudxf24 wrote

And determine where unlimited rain water harvesting is still legal… Colorado has already regulated this and I’m sure they aren’t alone

6

[deleted] t1_iudxtg3 wrote

Colorado legalized collecting years ago...right after the longest hardest rains came to a sudden and permenant end. I collected ridiculous amounts of water, then found out I wasn't allowed to, dumped it and then they changed the damn law.

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MyNameis_Not_Sure t1_iudyi3m wrote

They codified a limited amount of rainwater collection. Colorado did nothing to legalize it, it’s been legal since the dawn of time

2

[deleted] t1_iudxvvl wrote

How many rain barrels you need to wash 100,000 people's hands?

10,000 people?

1000 people?

100 people?

1.28 gallons per toilet that's 69.5 Billion gallons required to flush Chinese toilets if they only flush once day. 50 gallons per barrel, you need 1.39 Billion barrels filled every single day.

−12

8to24 t1_iudytxk wrote

This pedantic argument totally misses the point. It isn't that rain water is the answer for the whole world. It is that treated potable water shouldn't be used for toilets. In some places rain water may work. In other places lightly filtered gray water (sink & laundry) might do the trick.

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cammoblammo t1_iuffyqi wrote

Why would you only have a fifty gallon barrel?

Here in Australia a small water tank is about 250 gallons. It’s not uncommon to find tanks twenty or even fifty times that size.

I know plenty of people who run their entire house with rainwater.

5

[deleted] t1_iufouut wrote

The law says 110 gallons max. There's a deal to get water from the Colorado River signed by five states, taking water on residential properties prevents water from running off into the river.

Something like 70% of Australia is uninhabitable.

2

cammoblammo t1_iugvsmf wrote

A large area of Australia is uninhabitable, which is why we use big-arse tanks to catch the rain.

In most new dwellings in some states (even—especially—in cities) it’s mandatory to have rainwater tanks installed.

1

Rednys t1_iug487w wrote

You flushing your toilet is not simply throwing it away. And adding more plumbing and tanks to hold and distribute your grey water adds complexity and cost to housing and more maintenance. All this for an extremely small amount of water "saved".
Additionally if your waste water isn't being diluted by some "clean" water it's much more toxic and much more solid which could also lead to problems.

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xeneks t1_iugs9lb wrote

The waste being diluted enough so it’s able to be treated and doesn’t solidify or clog in pipes is something that I am sure is an actual issue. I wonder if they have to add water sometimes to offset the water saving of residents who achieve amazing low water consumption patterns? Also, if they have to add water to be able to actually process the wastewater as it’s received? This is why I think a way to create little bags of faeces like in the martian movie and book, makes sense. The faeces is a high cost, high value component. Simply bagging it means suddenly pipes have less physical material to address, and also, the faeces isn’t contaminated with other chemicals such as detergents or hair or clothes or or teeth or hand washing compounds.

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draeath t1_iudy2d3 wrote

In most (non-septic) US households at least, the drains and toilets all go to the same place. I don't think you want to recirculate that for flushing, the result won't be much better than letting it sit.

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AaronJeep t1_iuffgvo wrote

Most of the smaller 1.5" pipe drains (sinks, tubs, washers) make their way under the house via PVC networks until they connect with larger 3" and 4" drains used by toilets. You could reroute just the shower drain on millions of homes to a tank and a small put could feed it back to toilets. It would never mix with raw sewage. It wouldn't be reasonable with homes built on a slab, you could still do it pretty easy on millions and millions of homes, apartments and such. That would save millions and million of gallons of water.

1

Rednys t1_iug4o2n wrote

How about instead of replumbing houses and apartments we get rid of lawns and golf courses in deserts. Maybe not farming in a desert is a better and easier solution.

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LateMiddleAge t1_iudt40v wrote

Golf course worldwide use ~4.5B people's sustainment water. A simplifying statement---water is unevenly distributed, heavy, and hard to move---but is helpful for framing the scope.

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Lord_Montague t1_iuduyhr wrote

Golf courses even in nice climates should be forced to use reclaimed water or runoff where possible. It's not like we are using that water anyway. Golf courses in the desert can just go away. Green grass is not meant to exist there and that is the most wasteful use of water I can think of.

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1stGetAClew t1_iufuj9g wrote

I live in a nice climate. The city I live in uses less than 50% of it's allowed draw from underground aquifers and the aquifers send hundreds of billions of litres beyond all the consented draws of water straight into the ocean every year. What justification do you have for any of my local courses using reprocessed water which requires significant energy input for irrigation? It seems like a very poorly thought out idea to be honest.

1

xeneks t1_iugse5t wrote

I see the profit motive now. Interesting number.

1

[deleted] t1_iuerqa6 wrote

Gold courses should be criminalized.

−4

ZSCampbellcooks t1_iudzdnk wrote

Those are a “drop in the bucket” compared to livestock production for profit.

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m4fox90 t1_iudt8hy wrote

You can take my clean, shiny car from my cold, dead hands

−6

8to24 t1_iudwdtg wrote

One doesn't need consumable clean water to clean a car. I didn't mean one should never wash a car. Rather the way we wash cars is wasteful.

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aukir t1_iudzmpg wrote

They do recycle water, but those unlimited drive through spray washers seem so wasteful.

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m4fox90 t1_iudypf2 wrote

Have you ever washed a car with dirty water? It doesn’t work. Mineral deposits prevent wax and ceramic sealants from adhering properly, as well as leaving stains. You have to use clean water.

−2

8to24 t1_iudziot wrote

Just because water isn't potable doesn't mean it is too dirty to clean your car.

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Palpitating_Rattus t1_iuffbhr wrote

You CANT use graywater to wash your car. Try using your shower water to wash your windows. It doesn't work. This is common sense.

−1

8to24 t1_iufg04o wrote

Filter gray water would work.

2

Palpitating_Rattus t1_iufg8mx wrote

Soap and dirt and bacteria are still there. Your car will smell and look like dog turd

0

8to24 t1_iufiddr wrote

>In order to reduce fresh water and sewer costs, and to eliminate the impact of contaminated water on the environment, car wash owners install recycling systems in their washes. In many municipalities, these systems are required in order for the business to meet code and receive a permit. https://columbiatireauto.com/the-high-value-of-recycled-water-in-an-automatic-car-wash/

It is literally already a thing. I don't understand what point you are attempting to make.

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phyrros t1_iue1vk3 wrote

well, considering the direction we are going both car usage as well as a far higher death rate will me more common anyway

1

Momoselfie t1_iudr4xm wrote

That actually makes up a very small portion of our water usage. A huge amount is spent feeding the meat industry.

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SoupaSoka t1_iudtbj0 wrote

And, people don't have to go 100% vegan to have an impact. We'd see huge reductions in water usage if every citizen in developed countries went meatless just a few extra days or even meals a week.

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Lord_Montague t1_iudv8t6 wrote

Already have due to meat prices right now.

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SoupaSoka t1_iudvoig wrote

I don't think it'll singlehandedly solve issues we're facing, but as climate change and water shortages worsen, costs of foods and goods will go up so much that it wouldn't surprise me if our water, land, and energy use drops significantly. Almost a "self-correcting" problem if you toss on top of it the amount of people that will die and the reduction in birth rates. Note that I hope we can find better routes that don't result in widespread death or famine.

So what you're experiencing is probably going to be true for many people and amplified as things worsen.

8

runtheplacered t1_iudtdq3 wrote

I'd be curious for someone actually knowledgeable to check in with this. This feels like a very misleading statistic to me. It seems like the water used for agriculture, while technically greater, would still cause less of a localized disruption than a municipal water supply being hit by landscape irrigation.

In other words, I think this understates how much of an impact it would have if everybody stopped watering their lawns, considering landscape irrigation accounts for 50% of all annual residential water usage. Or at the very least stopped over watering it, which is typically what happens anyway.

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Momoselfie t1_iue1t3r wrote

I don't know about other states, but here in AZ, agriculture makes uo 72% of our total water usage.

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Bajabound4surf t1_iuf401v wrote

I'm down here for the first time near Yuma and I cannot believe the water waste by the farmers. It's 82 degrees out, full sun and literally a hundred yards from my van they are watering a lettuce field.

3

fire_bent t1_iuev8ey wrote

I just mulched half my backyard to turn it into a garden! It's gunna be badass

3

NotObviouslyARobot t1_iufwe7b wrote

Almonds use as much water as the entirety of residential uses in California. Restricting water-intensive agriculture on a regional basis has the greatest returns for the least effort.

3

Eupion t1_iueio8y wrote

I wish the cities would just plant fruit trees instead of trees that do nothing but provide shade. Feed people and wildlife, and provide shade and oxygen. And totally get rid of grass lawns!

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Worriedrph t1_iughfic wrote

Planting fruit trees in an urban environment is a great way to create stink and attract rats.

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Downvote_me_dumbass t1_iue2btl wrote

The word you’re looking for is Xeriscaping, and it should be mandatory all over the planet.

−1

Dry-Gulch-Slim t1_iue83sa wrote

>and it should be manditory all over the planet.

You know the whole planet isn't the American southwest, right? Please tell me you know that. What an awful take.

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Downvote_me_dumbass t1_iue8zwg wrote

> You know the whole planet isn't the American southwest, right? Please tell me you know that. What an awful take.

You realize there are significant portions of the planet that could benefit from saving water and using plants that are grown regionally that still could make their property look beautiful, right?

Please let me know you understand this isn’t an American problem, but a global problem (even more so when another country controls water rights to other countries).

This is such an ignorant take.

−2

Rugkrabber t1_iuec6mj wrote

I don’t think that will happen anytime soon unless we educate children from the start how to do this and why. It requires a lot of knowledge and a lot of effort and hard work every day, which not many people already can do now. On top of it it’s costly, which I would assume might be the largest hurdle for the large majority of people.

−1

jetro30087 t1_iudriy9 wrote

Capitalism will solve it once the price of water increases enough to justify building desalinization plants to make more money and not a second sooner. Look forward to trading fresh water on the futures market.

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8to24 t1_iudrswo wrote

No thank you. Capitalism's solution will be very environmentally harmful. Building reverse osmosis facilities and just dumping the waste brine in bays.

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Belostoma t1_iueotqs wrote

Add sea beans to the list -- they're delicious!

I'm not sure if your idea works overall though, rather than trading one problem for another. I'm sure there are places it could be helpfully done, but where would we find the physical space to grow enough saltwater crops to replace a large proportion of freshwater-driven industrial agriculture? Coastal and especially estuary habitat is fragile and critical to begin with, and the last thing we want to do is convert any of it from biodiverse native vegetation to a monoculture of human food, even if it helps slightly with the water problem.

Maybe this would be a good application for futuristic vertical farming tech in high-rises near the sea. I don't know which crops might be amenable to that.

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8to24 t1_iueq7lw wrote

>but where would we find the physical space to grow enough saltwater crops to replace a large proportion of freshwater-driven industrial agriculture?

The ocean. Floating hydroponic style crops.

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AlphaTangoFoxtrt t1_iudyuwg wrote

> We've just committed ourselves to wasteful practices.

You mean to tell me growing incredibly water-intensive plants in/near a desert is a BAD idea???

Someone tell California.

2

joanzen t1_iudzl58 wrote

I keep saying we should use recycled plastics to make automated floating solar desalination networks pumping fresh water inland while capturing salt deposits that can be unloaded and contained in dry storage areas.

If we deploy enough of these self-contained networks the rising ocean levels will get impacted and they will slow down the rate at which ocean salinity has been rising, while creating fresh water.

1

Cliffe_Turkey t1_iudag1c wrote

It's almost as if pumping water out of every aquifer with reckless abandon for 150 yrs combined with global warming and surface water regulations that encourage overuse and waste has consequences!

It's unbelievably hard for me to be sympathetic towards farmers and ranchers in the west as what they've wrought comes home to roost. Anyone with an honest bone in their body could see this coming 100 years ago.

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ShittDickk t1_iuey94n wrote

They created the dust bowl in the south and when that caused the damage it did, they just spread out and continued those techniques everywhere else.

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Cliffe_Turkey t1_iufaro2 wrote

And the race to the bottom of the Ogallala aquifer threatens to bring it back all over again! Yaaaay! But don't regulate groundwater use or anything, we have traditions out here!

For real though: the IRA bill has serious money allocated to regenerative ag, super cool that the feds are actually investing in something like that. Hope it helps, not my area of expertise.

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DamnDame t1_iugoahx wrote

Unlike surface water, in Nebraska the groundwater belongs to the people of the state. Now, people own the land above it and over several decades many wells have tapped the Ogallala Aquifer, but the state put a moratorium on new wells over a decade ago. Meters have also been put on groundwater wells.

There is a clear understanding of the need to conserve water in the state and there are many competing stakeholders. Unlike other areas of this massive aquifer (8 states), Nebraska has the good fortune of having a large mass of sand across most of the aquifer allowing rain to percolate through the sediment. The recharge rate is quite good. (The deepest part of the aquifer is in Nebraska and it contributes to 24,000 miles of streams in the state.)

For those who are unaware, precision agriculture is a growing practice that has environmental and economic benefits for producers and their communities. Reddit gets pretty dark, I'm offering this information to those who may be unaware of research and practices already in place to improve farming and ranching. (Using less resources, fertilizer, herbicides/pesticides is a win for all.)

Of all the water that covers the earth, 3% is fresh water. 2% is frozen in glaciers, leaving only 1% available for world to use.

Don't run the water when you brush your teeth.

4

kalasea2001 t1_iue66h7 wrote

>sympathetic towards farmers and ranchers in the west as what they've wrought

This is absolutely not just a farmer rancher issue. This is an everyone issue. We all allowed this to happen.

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GreatAndPowerfulNixy t1_iueaz9r wrote

The percentage of water use by almond farmers alone in California dwarfs all other private usage.

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Adamofatom t1_iuf1bhb wrote

And who do you think the farmers farm for?

I am definitely for more regulations for the industry. But at the end of the day the industry feeds the needs of the consumers.

−2

TheLastForestOnEarth t1_iufaf1h wrote

Farmers farm for themselves. Farming is a for-profit business. They're not heroes, selflessly generating food so the rest of us can live.

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kuroimakina t1_iuf3f6w wrote

Consumers are stupid, and those who aren’t stupid are often too overworked and tired to also spend all their time picking and choosing every single purchase to minimize their impact to the environment. It’s all just how the system works - make everyone overworked, undereducated, and/or generally disenfranchised and they’ll just accept anything

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MewgDewg t1_iuf80fz wrote

idk friend - I understand your sentiment but anecdotally it only took me an afternoon to figure out what in my area was reasonably sustainable and what specifically was not, when certain things I like were in season etc.. I definitely agree with the "No ethical consumption" sentiment but I don't feel like it's a good excuse not to try

1

Cliffe_Turkey t1_iuf8x3l wrote

Sure, I agree. We shouldn't build giant cities in the desert either. Or let private equity buy up water rights and sell them to the highest bidder. Lawns and golf courses are ridiculous.

But look how water is allocated and who is using most of it in the west. Look at the insane things our systems of water law have incentivized. Look at the lawmakers who refuse to change the systems of incentives. Look at the ranchers and farmers (most of them) who refuse to do the most basic water efficiency changes because they've got the private property rights, and their traditions. It's the biggest piece, by far.

3

ATribeOfAfricans t1_iuef937 wrote

This is the societal demand man and lack of regulation, farmer just doing what they gotta do to make money. Tragedy of the commons

2

dumnezero t1_iuejzns wrote

Tragedy of the privates in this case, as it's happening on privatized lands with privatized wells.

3

ATribeOfAfricans t1_iugbsa6 wrote

Some states have water rights, but they are set up incredibly short sighted and unrealistic.

In places like Texas though, where I live, it's a free for all and you can use as much as you want so the incentive becomes use as much if the water before your neighbor does

1

dumnezero t1_iugvt5c wrote

And is this based on owning private land with water underneath?

1

ATribeOfAfricans t1_iuiwrz0 wrote

No. There are plenty of wells pulling water from public lands. What are you even trying to force dude?

We aren't properly rationing water, which requires better regulation. Simple as that. We're not to mad max water control just yet

1

[deleted] t1_iue4f9t wrote

[deleted]

−4

Cliffe_Turkey t1_iufb883 wrote

I would disagree here. Tons of measures of biodiversity have been in free fall for a long time. Unregulated groundwater use has dried up springs and driven species to extinction without most folks even noticing. The west was always fragile, and what we see now is a pale imitation of nature due to 12,000+ years of depredation and degradation. Though certainly things have accelerated in the last 150 yrs.

3

jtaustin64 t1_iud8ff0 wrote

My family farms in the South. We have made the comment for the last decade that the weather patterns in the South seem to be shifting to more of a rainy season and dry season like they have in the tropics. It floods when we plant, doesn't rain at all during the growing season, and then floods during harvest.

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[deleted] t1_iuerxkq wrote

Everyone loves a nice loaf of moldy bread.

12

Rice_Auroni t1_iug8lg5 wrote

almost like the climate is changing in some way.

sure wish we had scientists around to warn us if some such thing would happen

7

peasant_python t1_iud8mhs wrote

And now science found out that if you pump water out of the ground everywhere and use it in industry it is not wet anymore. Astounding.

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Wagamaga OP t1_iucscpy wrote

For millennia, communities throughout North America have adapted to the ebb and flow of waterways. Water infrastructure provides reservoirs for times of drought and flood control for instances of deluge.

Drought is a way of life in some parts of the United States, said Jeffrey Mount, a geomorphologist and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. “What you worry about is whether you’re picking up a trend.” Long-term shifts in streamflow could signal a fundamental change in climate that scientists believe the country’s infrastructure is not designed to endure.

Unfortunately, such a trend is emerging. In the first comprehensive picture of streamflow in the United States, scientists reported that streams in the South and West have gotten drier in the past 70 years. Though unsurprising to many, the result is worrisome. The finding was published in the journal Water Resources Research.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022WR031930

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_pooch t1_iudx8c1 wrote

Just wait... The supreme court is about to legalize the destruction of wetlands

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fkenned1 t1_iue02ml wrote

In addition to reservoirs down by about 3 feet and all our grass dying, I noticed large patches of forest in my area with trees turning brown and dropping all their leaves in the middle of summer. Not a good sign.

24

windythought34 t1_iudaidl wrote

Many places are dependent on snow to get water - and people don't understand it. Climate change will kill off agriculture in these areas. You can't save enough rain to support agriculture.

19

bmy1point6 t1_iudg59w wrote

Some part of this is due to an increase in impervious area resulting in stormwater reaching streams more quickly via overland runoff instead of infiltrating downward :(

16

Push_Citizen t1_iudsp1y wrote

and that can cause stream temperatures to spike pretty high right after a rain

7

uh_buh t1_iud7v5r wrote

Why did no one warn us this would happen?

13

Zisx t1_iuf36cd wrote

Some probably did, then labeled overly crazy & worry wort type

Even today most people tend to have the "don't worry so much, we can can fix it before it's too late eventually &/or at last minute" not realizing these problems Will continue being exponentially worse over time, and compound on each other

4

Va1crist t1_iuerr3o wrote

Rivers , lakes , creeks etc everything is drying up so what do we do ? Cut down more trees , poison the environment more , watering areas that shouldn’t watered and buy EVs and tell ourselves we’re making a difference

7

[deleted] t1_iudt0ss wrote

Put sprawling parking lots everywhere and then wonder where all the water went.

5

Sillyvanya t1_iue5v3g wrote

We definitely need to keep pumping entire lakes of water into Las Vegas

4

drromancer t1_iuel2tj wrote

Ban lawns...its such a waste of water...and golf courses...

4

tinacat933 t1_iuf2wtb wrote

If there’s no snow on the mountains there’s no water in the ground

4

redditdeigy t1_iue26wy wrote

There is as much lawn acreage in the US as land devoted to agriculture. Not only is a lot irrigated with drinking water but the environmental cost of fertilizer and fuel consumed and air and noise pollution mowing all that acreage is significant.

3

ProfessionalPack7205 t1_iufms4b wrote

I can tell from the time i was a little boy and now as an adult its changed alot. Im also only 25.

3

Scott4370 t1_iufrycu wrote

Try 60 and seeing how much things have changed. I remember Lake Mead being pretty much full when I first saw it as a six year old. I remember not seeing so many dead trees, especially around swamps. We’re definitely on the downward spiral.

4

iamamuttonhead t1_iufy0id wrote

They appear to be drying up in New England as well.

3

Vern95673 t1_iug7w0y wrote

I see irrigation systems flooding streets, and apartment parking lots. The streets is due to broken sprinkler heads and overwatering the plants between opposite lanes of city traffic. The apartments I talked to on site management, the water company that provides it, and the county over a year later nothing has changed. These are vast amounts of water going right into the storm drains. It’s a shame when we are told to conserve and this is the worst drought in a thousand years. Then you report gross waste and nothing is done at all and from unassociated entities.

2

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1

Ockius t1_iuf8kb1 wrote

Need to build ponds and swales to refill the aquifers when it rains

1

Environmental-Use-77 t1_iug2bjd wrote

The idiots won't listen to science because it infringes upon their income, humans only act out of necessity not warning, unfortunately for humans our reaction will be long after the too late to act moment.

1

Nosrok t1_iug9ef8 wrote

If it's not coastal flooding, it's inland flooding from heavy rainfall or droughts or "crazy" storms both summer and winter or fires or heat waves and whatever mother nature can cook up. No area is safe from climate change.

1

Sajolly908 t1_iugktlu wrote

If we were to transition to a no till farm system this would not be a situation. Please watch kiss the ground. We can fix this if we work together to make this happen. Plus with no till farming not just more water is saved but the food grown is so much better.

1

OldestFetus t1_iugq8l5 wrote

The Rio Grande has been dried by greedy water grabs for agro corporates in CO & NM, before it even reaches TX and Mexico, for a almost a century.

1

HarryPFlashman t1_iuewpsg wrote

I love all the people solving these problems through making people do things they want:

No golf, vegan lifestyle, no more lawns…salt water plants,….

0

Numismatists t1_iue2n2k wrote

More intense... especially since 2020.

The drop in Aerosols has let more of the Sun's radiation deeper into the atmosphere.

Expect the rivers, lakes and ponds to continue drying up as our aerosol pollution continue to decrease.

Edit; Checking what sub I'm in. We are actually allowed to talk about Science here, right?

−1

DefenestrateThemAll t1_iuf4fbs wrote

Since water does not enter or leave the earth's atmosphere, it never loses or gains amounts. There is no shortage of water. People hell bent on living in deserts redistribute water yes, but it is physically impossible to "waste" water. Because it is constantly recycled.

−1

crazydavebacon1 t1_iufm4sb wrote

The Grand Canyon used to be a river also, it dried up, has nothing to do with humans. It happens. The world will survive, with our without humans.

−4

tommy_b_777 t1_iugs49d wrote

The Grand Canyon was cut by the river currently still flowing through it - The Colorado. Go check a map - you can see the river clearly labeled…

2

crazydavebacon1 t1_iuh4tjf wrote

You know it’s tiny right? Dried up is still true, you see how deep it used to be?

0

tommy_b_777 t1_iui4ktu wrote

ETA OK I sound like an asshole - Nicer this time

It CUT the Grand Canyon dude - it wasn’t that huge, it CUT THE CANYON OVER TIME. Read a geology textbook. The plateau is sandstone, which you can cut with running water in days or weeks in some places. The river starts out in hard rock then hits soft sandstone and Cut the deep canyon you see over lots and lots of years. I live at the headwaters of the CO river, my friends guide on it…The GC was not full of water like lake powell once was...

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