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Great Lakes key front in water wars
Western, Southern states covet Midwest resource
Tim Jones, Chicago Tribune
While the West burns and the Southeast bakes, there is little to suggest a large-scale, climatological catastrophe playing out any time soon in the Midwest. In fact, farmers in Iowa and Minnesota had trouble last week harvesting their corn and soybean crops because there had been too much rain.
But potentially huge battles over water are looming in the Great Lakes region as cities, towns and states near and far fight for access to the world’s largest body of fresh surface water, all of it residing in the five Great Lakes.
Call them water wars, with the Great Lakes states hunkering down to protect what they see as theirs.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democratic candidate for president, gave voice to his water lust early this month by suggesting that water from the Great Lakes could be piped to the rapidly growing — and increasingly dry — Southwestern states.
(28 October 2007)
Also posted at Common Dreams.
Thanks to Devlin Buckley for suggesting this and the following articles on the U.S. droughts. -BA
Many States Seen Facing Water Shortages
Brian Skoloff, Associated Press
An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions. Florida doesn’t have nearly enough water for its expected population boom. The Great Lakes are shrinking. Upstate New York’s reservoirs have dropped to record lows. And in the West, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is melting faster each year. Across America, the picture is critically clear – the nation’s freshwater supplies can no longer quench its thirst.
The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years because of a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, urban sprawl, waste and excess.
“Is it a crisis? If we don’t do some decent water planning, it could be,” said Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the Denver-based American Water Works Association.
Water managers will need to take bold steps to keep taps flowing, including conservation, recycling, desalination and stricter controls on development.
(26 October 2007)
Drought could harm fire prevention, relief
Eric Klamut, Rocky Mount Telegram (North Carolina)
With the drought lingering on, local officials are concerned that extreme conditions may lead to an increase in fires in the coming months. Rocky Mount Fire Chief Keith Harris said that his main concerns are brush fires and keeping an adequate water supply to combat fires.
…However, what has become top priority is monitoring the fire department’s available water supply. “Fortunately in our drought – while it has been very serious – we (continue) to have plenty of water for fire protection,” Harris said.
… While the precipitation has been improving drought conditions somewhat, Harris said if the rain were to stop and the coming winter was unusually dry, the fire department would have to change tactics.
…Because of extremely dry conditions, Roberson said that he is expecting the worst when people begin starting up their furnaces and wood burners.
With the high number of fires throughout the summer months, Roberson said that his agency could see a financial strain in providing relief and shelter to victims if the trend increases due to a dry winter.
“People tend to get creative,” Roberson said, noting that he has heard of people using everything from gas grills to improperly connected wood-burning systems to heat their homes.
(28 October 2007)
Hay shortage takes toll on horses
Scott Fitzgerald, The Southern (Southern Illinois)
CARBONDALE – Feeding time is from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for the 50 horses at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Equine Center on Union Hill Road.
That daily routine is now something of a milestone because of the onslaught of price increases, short supplies and bad weather.
“There is definitely a problem, and something I think will get worse in the winter months. A late spring frost killed the alfalfa crops. After a first cutting in the area, a horrible drought followed that definitely has lowered yields on crops and less cuttings,” said Sheila Puckett, equine center manager.
Fortunately, SIUC officials had foresight before the inclement weather to expand its usable acreage for more hay production.
“We moved our fence lines to grow more and eat down less,” Puckett said.
A lack of rain during the spring and summer has compounded the problem for nearby areas in Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri.
And what’s happening is sad for people who own, breed and love horses. The animals are starving to death
(27 October 2007)
Water levels fall; drought fears on the rise in Massachusetts
Connie Paige , The Boston Globe
The lawn is scorched, the saplings are shriveled, and the local ponds and streams are lower than usual.
“It’s a developing drought,” said Linda Hutchins, a hydrologist for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. “I’m concerned where we would be in the spring if it does continue. While it’s not a real big water-supply crisis now, if we go through the winter dry and start next spring and summer like this, we’re going to be sorry.”
Throughout the area, even communities that restricted outside water use this summer still show signs of drought, specialists say. The consequences of scant precipitation well into next year could be shrinking water supplies for residents, industry, and agriculture, as well as forest and brush fires.
(28 October 2007)
Will a thirsty Atlanta try to drink our (South Carolina’s) water?
Peter Frost, IslandPacket
Atlanta might be some 270 miles from South Carolina’s Lowcountry, but its epic drought has local water officials watching the Southeast’s largest city closely, fearful it might turn its gaze to the Savannah River.
The river, which spans South Carolina’s border with Georgia, is a major source of drinking water for Beaufort and Jasper counties and portions of the coastal Peach State.
South Carolina water officials have long feared that Atlanta, with its robust and unbridled population growth and urban sprawl, would be forced to turn to the Savannah to slake its thirst.
Now, with Metro Atlanta more than 16 inches behind in annual rainfall, and its primary source of drinking water — the 39,000-acre Lake Lanier — drying up, the specter of the city tapping into the Savannah is less a question of “if” than “when,” water officials say.
“They have a very significant problem, so quite obviously, they’re going to have to do something,” said Dean Moss, general manager of the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, which treats and distributes Savannah River water to a majority of area customers. “The Savannah River is just too logical of an alternative for them to ignore.”
While Georgia state law precludes Atlanta from piping in water from the Savannah, Moss and other South Carolina officials say the situation in North Georgia is so dire that no water source is out of the question.
(28 October 2007)
