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In their technical report, which hasnt been peer-reviewed, they calculated that a pipe for moving this scale of water would need to be 88 feet in diameter around twice the length of a semi trailer or a 100-foot-wide channel thats 61 feet deep. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. Idaho joins Texas lawsuit against Biden administration over federal The driver of the truck was not injured. An in-depth feasibility study specifically on pumping Mississippi River water to the West hasnt been conducted yet to Larsons knowledge. Lower Mississippi River flow means less sediment carried down to Louisiana, where it's used for coastal restoration. No. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. But the idea hasnever completely died. ", Westford of Southern California's Metropolitan Water District agreed. Can you solve drought by piping water across the country? - New York Times "I'm an optimist," said Coffey, who said local conservation is key. It is a minimum of 1,067 miles from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River if it could be built in a fairly straight line (St. Louis to Grand Junction, Colorado, based on the route of. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Arizonas main active management areas are in Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties, leaving much of rural Arizona water use unregulated. All rights reserved. Absolutely. The lawsuit, originally filed in southern Texas' federal courts Jan. 18, was amended to include Idaho on Monday. Drought conditions plagued the region throughout 2022, prompting concerns over river navigation. And contrary to Siefkes' claims, experts said, the silty river flows provide sediment critical to shore up the rapidly disappearing Louisiana coast andbarrier islands chewed to bits by hurricanes and sea rise. The state is expected to lose 10% of its water over the next two decades, reports the . I think the feasibility study is likely to tell us what we already know, he said, which is that there are a lot less expensive, less complicated options that we can be investing in right now, like reducing water use. The idea of a pipeline transecting the continent is not a new idea. The idea of a pipeline transecting the continent is not a new idea. You could do it.". A pipeline to the Mississippi River Perhaps the biggest achievement Paffrath said he would accomplish if elected governor would be to solve California's water crisis by building a. Famiglietti said as long as urban areas in the West don't persist in untrammeled growth, they have enough supply for the immediate future, with the ability to rip out lawns, capture stormwater runoff in local reservoirs, do municipal audits to fix leaks and other tools. Environmental writerMarc Reisner said the plan was one of "brutal magnificence" and "unprecedented destructiveness." Water pipeline not feasible - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper Lake Mead is at its lowest level since it was filled 85 years ago. He said the most pragmatic approach would only pump Midwest water to the metro Denver area, to substitute forimports to the Front Range on the east side of the Rockies, avoiding "staggering" costs to pump water over the Continental Divide. The river's web, if some have their way, could become even larger. Why not begin a grand national infrastructure project of building a water pipeline from those flooded states to the Southwest? . The water would be drained via a 36 inch pipe already installed four miles west of Sugarloaf Mountain outside Marquette. California Departmentof Water Resourcesspokeswoman Maggie Maciasin an email: In considering the feasibility of a multi-state water conveyance infrastructure, the extraordinary costs that would be involved in planning, designing, permitting, constructing, and then maintaining and operating such a vast system of infrastructure would be significant obstacles when compared to the water supply benefits and flood water reduction benefits that it would provide. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Unrecognizable. Lake Mead, a lifeline for water in Los Angeles and the West, tips toward crisis. It dawned on Million that Colorado had unclaimed rights to water from the Green, since the river was part of the Colorado River system, and he devised a plan to build a pipeline that would pump water around the Rockies to the city of Fort Collins, where he lives. The Colorado River's 1922 compact allocated about 23% of the Upper Basin's water to Utah, and the state uses about 72% of that water. Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west. Million himself, though, is confident that his pipeline will get built, and that it will ensure Fort Collins future. The list of projects that run on similarly magical thinking goes on: Utah wants to build a pipeline of its own from Lake Powell to the fast-growing city of St. George, but Lake Powell has almost no water left. Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesn't always have enough water to spare. Another businessman in New Mexico has pushed plans to pump river water 150 miles to the city of Santa Fe, but that water would have to be pumped uphill. Large amounts of fossil fuelenergy neededto pump water over the Rockies would increase the very climate change thats exacerbating the 1,200-year drought afflicting the Colorado River in the first place, said Newman, who in his previous job helped the state of Colorado design a long-term water conservation plan. Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesnt always have enough water to spare. Letters to the Editor: Really, Californians? Another call for a water The idea of diverting water from the Mississippi to the Colorado River basin is an excellent one, albeit also fantastically expensive. Page Contact Information: Missouri Water Data Support Team Page Last Modified: 2023-03-04 08:46:14 EST . Could a water pipeline from the Mississippi River to Arizona be a real solution? Heproposed usingnuclear explosionsto excavate the system's trenches and underground water storage reservoirs. Local hurdles include endangered species protections, wetlands protections, drinking water supply considerations and interstate shipping protections. California Gov. Tina Peters convicted of government obstruction charge, acquitted of obstructing a police officer, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Subscribe today to see what all the buzz is about. The 800-mile system of pipelines, ditches and reservoirs would cost an estimated $23 billion and could provide 1 million acre-feet of water a year to Colorado. Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesnt always have enough water to spare. he said. An earlier version of this story misidentified for which agency Jennifer Pitt was a technical adviser. Do they thank us for using our water? An additional analysis emerged a decade later when Roger Viadero, an environmental scientist and engineer at Western Illinois University, and his graduate students assessed proposals suggested in last summers viral editorials. He said a major wastewater reuse project that MWD plans to implement by 2032 could ultimately yield up 150 million gallons of potable water a day from treated waste. It might be in the trillions, but it probably does exist.. General Manager Henry Martinez also warned that cutting water to Imperial Valley farmers and nearby Yuma County, Arizona, could lead to a food crisis as well as a water crisis. By Brittney J. Miller, The Cedar Rapids Gazette. In the 20 years since he first had the idea, Million has suffered a string of regulatory and legal defeats at the hands of state and federal agencies, becoming a kind of bogeyman for conservationists in the process. So moving water that far away to supplement the ColoradoRiver, I don't think is viable. The most obvious problem with this proposal is its mind-boggling cost. Kaufman is the general manager of Leavenworth Water, which serves 50,000 people in a town that welcomed Lewis and Clark in 1804 during the duo's westward exploration. As zany as the ideas may sound, could anywork, and if so, what would be the costs? Can drought-stricken CA get water from Midwest via pipeline? Among its provisions, the law granted the states water infrastructure finance authority to investigate the feasibility of potential out-of-state water import agreements. Most recently, in 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation produced a report laying out a potentially grim future for the Colorado River, and had experts evaluate 14 big ideas commonly touted as potential solutions. Arizona Legislators Want to Ship Mississippi River - Planetizen Experts say those will require sacrifices but not as many as building a giant pipeline would require. They includegawky pink roseate spoonbills, tiny bright yellow warblers, known as swamp candles because of their bright glow in the humid, green woods, and more. Mississippi River drought will impact your grocery bill. Viaderos team estimated that the sale of the water needed to fill the Colorado Rivers Lake Powell and Lake Mead the largest reservoirs in the country would cost more than $134 billion at a penny a gallon. Still, its physically possible. Take for instance the so-called Water Horse pipeline, a pet project of a Colorado investor and entrepreneur named Aaron Million. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This story is part of the Grist seriesParched, an in-depth look at how climate change-fueled drought is reshaping communities, economies, and ecosystems. Can A Pipeline Really Bring Drinking Water From Mississippi To The West? A multi-state pipeline could easily require decades before it delivers a drop of water," said Michael Cohen, senior researcher with the Pacific Institute. Million sued, and he says he expects a ruling this year. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. A Kansas groundwater management agency, for instance, received a permit last year to truck 6,000 gallons of Missouri River water into Kansas and Colorado in hopes of recharging an aquifer. The pipeline would help it tap another 86,000 acre-feet of . Rescue the oceans from the pollution that flood waters pick up and dump into the ocean, creating dead zones. "To my mind, the overriding fatal flaw for large import schemes is the time required to become operational. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. Studies and modern-day engineering have proven that such projects are possible but require decades of construction and billions of dollars. Letter writers have asked why a water pipeline is not constructed from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. As an engineer, I can guarantee you that it is doable, Viadero said. So come on out for the plastic Marilyn on our dashboard, and stay for the stupendous waste of water, electricity and clean air. Answer (1 of 21): Interbasin transfer is something we try to avoid. Even if the sticker price werent so prohibitive, there are other obstacles. LAS VEGAS -- Lake Mead has nearly set a new record when its water level measured at 1081.10 feet, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. Under the analyzed scenario, water would be conveyed to Colorados Front Range and areas of New Mexico to help fulfill water needs. Known as one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world, since it opened its doors on Earth Day in 2013 the Bullitt Center has been setting a new standard for sustainable design. "I started withtoilets, I was the toilet queen of L.A.," said Westford. after the growth in California . Guess Who Proposed the Missouri River Pipeline in the Federal Arizona needs water. But a Mississippi pipeline is a pipe dream To the editor: I'd like to ask if the reader from Chatsworth calling for the construction of a water pipeline from the Mississippi River to Colorado River reservoirs has ever been to . It would cost at least $1,700 per acre-feet of water, potentially yield 600,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2060 and take 30 years to construct. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. Water Pipeline of America - Colorado-Mississippi Pipeline - Zamboanga What goes into the cat-and-mouse game of forecasting Colorados avalanche risks? The idea's been dismissed for as long as it's. Meanwhile, a rookie Democrat running for governor in Californias recall election last year proposed declaring a state of emergency in order to build a similar project. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Absolutely not," said Meena Westford, executive director of Colorado River resource policy for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. If you dont have enough of it, go find more. Last time I heard, we are still the United States of America.". Were not looking for the last dollar out of this project, he told me. But interest spans deeper than that. But Denver officials have expressed skepticism,because Missouri or Mississippi water isof inferior quality to pure mountain water. The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill that, if passed, would require restaurants to only provide water upon customer request. Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west. The price tag for construction would add to this hefty bill, along with the costs of powering the equipment needed to pump the water over the Western Continental Divide. Officials imposed the state's first-ever water restrictions on cities and towns, and California farmers are drilling deeper and . Even smaller projects stand to be derailed by similar hiccups. But the loss of so much water from the.