Why is the Colorado River drying up? Meat agriculture takes up much of its declining water
[D]espite news stories about drought-stricken Americans in the West taking shorter showers and ditching lawns to conserve their water supply, those efforts are unlikely to amount to much — residential water use accounts for just 13 percent of water drawn from the Colorado River. According to research published in Nature Sustainability, the vast majority of water is used by farmers to irrigate crops. And when you zoom in to look at exactly which crops receive the bulk of the Colorado River’s water, 70 percent goes to alfalfa, hay, corn silage, and other grasses that are used to fatten up cattle for beef and cows for dairy. Some of the other crops, like soy, corn grain, wheat, barley, and even cotton, may also be used for animal feed.
Related articles:
- Ag Alert: Stakes are high for farmers in Colorado water options
- CalMatters – Opinion: Imperial Valley nears day of reckoning for use of distressed Colorado River
