Opinion: Looming water cuts call for solutions
Lake Mead is shrinking. Last seen full in 1983, a 157 foot “bathtub ring” of salty white mineral deposits is the visible record of a slowly unfolding crisis. For the first time ever, federal officials have declared an emergency water shortage for the Colorado River. Nevada’s water cuts will take effect on January 1, 2022. Extended droughts, extreme temperatures, and chronic overuse of the Colorado river basin require our attention. It’s a wakeup call to change the country’s reckless relationship with desert water. Policymakers, farmers, and 40 million residents who depend on the Colorado River must find ways to use less.
-Written by Linda Stout, a longtime Las Vegas resident and climate activist.Related article:
- Metropolitan Water District and Quechan Tribe: Expanded Partnership Between Metropolitan, Quechan Tribe Will Conserve Colorado River Water, Help Protect Lake Mead