Western Water Metaphors

Water is the lifeblood of the West

LeRoy W.  Hooton, Jr.

June 24, 2004

Most of the West is experiencing the fifth year of drought, and some claim it’s worse than the granddaddy of modern droughts – the dust bowl era of the 1930s. Some evidence indicates that things could get worse. Tree ring studies, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, indicate that during the 20th century the West was actually wetter than normal, and now it’s returning to a more normal climate pattern, which happens to be drier.  Not only are there projections that it’s going to be drier, but warmer as well. According to a February 2003 report by the U.S.G.S., the average annual temperature in the northern and central Rocky Mountains has increased 0.5ºF to 1.1ºF during the past century. Models indicate that rising temperatures could continue into the future affecting the West’s climate. 

Water has correctly been characterized as the “lifeblood of the West.”  As we have passed the threshold into the 21st Century, the challenges facing the West can be summed up metaphorically by current events.

Metaphor No. 1

The declining water level of Lake Powell is a visual image and metaphor for the drought and the construction of large storage facilities in the West. Glen Canyon Dam, to many, is symbolic of federal water development during the 20th Century.  The receding water levels of this enormous reservoir provide a graphic understanding of the magnitude of the drought.  Currently the 24 MAF lake is less than half full, and if this trend continues, power generation will be affected in two years. It may be years before the lake volume fully recovers. Just when you realize that the depleted volume of water in Lake Powell has mitigated much of the drought’s impact on the Southwest, others want to drain it and restore it to a free flowing river.  Long a focal point for conflict between the water and environmental communities, Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell continue to be the flashpoint for conflict between water development and environmental values. 

Metaphor No. 2

If Lake Powell is a metaphor for the drought and federal water development,  Las Vegas, Nevada is a metaphor for western growth and water supply concerns. Touted as the fastest growing city in the nation, water officials are coping with both growth and the drought.  Current trends indicate that the population could double every 10 years. Las Vegas receives a scant 4.13 inches of precipitation and large volumes of water are consumed to irrigate turf.  In order to accommodate growth and the effect of water shortages, water officials are urging residents to convert their water consuming turf to desert landscapes.  According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority 2002-03 Annual Report, the Authorities’ drought plan focuses on more stringent conservation measures with the emphasis on reducing outdoor water consumption. One element of this conservation plan is to eliminate turf watering.  “Residents and businesses converted more than 11.8 million square feet of turf – more than 5 times the square footage of 2002,” notes the report. It further notes that since the program’s inception in 1999 about 1.3 billion gallons of water has been saved through the conversions.

Metaphor No. 3

If Lake Powell is a metaphor for the drought and federal water development, and Las Vegas a metaphor for growth, a metaphor for “collaboration” is the recent agreement on the Colorado River. In 1992 Interior Secretary Gale Norton gave California water users a stern warning to sign the Quantification Settlement Agreement (QSA) or surplus water to Southern California would be suspended in 2003.  With this “get tough” policy regarding California’s 800,000 acre-foot overuse of the Colorado River, California’s water entities came together to agree on the QSA.  On October 16, 2003, with Hoover Dam and Lake Mead as a backdrop, the landmark agreement was signed. The agreement quantifies the rights of four water districts in California’s annual 4.4 MAF apportionment of the Colorado River and establishes water transfers from agriculture to urban use.  Up to 200,000 acre-feet of irrigation water owned by the Imperial Irrigation District will be transferred to the San Diego County Water Authority to provide municipal water supply to the fast growing San Diego area. Conservation and fallowing farmlands will provide the water involved in the transfer. As the population continues to increase in California during the next century, change in water uses and cooperation between the water users will be needed to address the changing demographics of the West.

Metaphor No. 4

If Lake Powell is a metaphor for the drought and federal water development, Las Vegas a metaphor for growth and the recent agreements on the Colorado River a metaphor for “collaboration,” then “Water 2025” may be a metaphor for conflict resolution of water issues for the 17 states located west of the 100th Meridian.  

There are 3 million more people added to the U.S. population each year, and many of them are settling in the western region of the nation.  The problems associated with population growth and water supplies to meet that growth have prompted the U.S. Department of Interior and Bureau of Reclamation to initiate a program to avoid future water conflicts and crisis identified to occur in 10 western states. The federal water behemoth is searching for its role in the growing, water short West. “Water 2025” provides a holistic approach to addressing water issues related to urban growth, recreational and environmental demands and the production of food and fiber. Recognizing that local governments have the leading role in solving their water problems, the federal government sees itself as a facilitator in this process. Conflicts are certain to sharpen as water in the West becomes more critical.  Perhaps the Department of Interior is the logical entity to perform this duty; after all for the most part it was their water development programs under the 1902 Reclamation Act that got us to where we are today.  Although they will have to overcome the tendency for local governments to resist federal intervention into state’s issues.

Conclusion

Population growth, drought and the need for water to meet the challenges of the future are readily apparent. It is certain that the population will continue to grow, stretching existing water supplies.  Historically drought has always been a curse to man and undoubtedly will continue to plague future generations.  Obviously, all living things require water to survive. Given the certainties of these facts, water issues will be the metaphor of our future in the West.

Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities: http://www.ci.slc.ut.us/utilities/