| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| | The '''Colorado River''' is one of the longest rivers in the [[United States]], at about | | The '''Colorado River''' is one of the longest rivers in the [[United States]], at about |
| | 1450 mi (2330 km) long, and flows from the [[Rocky Mountains]] of northern | | 1450 mi (2330 km) long, and flows from the [[Rocky Mountains]] of northern |
| − | [[Colorado]], just west of the [[Continental Divide]], then primarily southwest through | + | [[Colorado]], just west of the Continental Divide, then primarily southwest through |
| | Colorado, [[Utah]], and [[Arizona]], then flows along the border between | | Colorado, [[Utah]], and [[Arizona]], then flows along the border between |
| | [[Nevada]] and [[Arizona]], and Arizona and [[California]]; and continues through | | [[Nevada]] and [[Arizona]], and Arizona and [[California]]; and continues through |
| − | [[Mexico]], emptying into the [[Gulf of California]]. It passes through several Lakes | + | [[Mexico]], emptying into the Gulf of California. It passes through several Lakes |
| | and dams, most notably Glen Canyon Dam and [[Hoover Dam]],<ref>http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/</ref> and also runs through the [[Grand Canyon]].<ref>http://www.nps.gov/grca/</ref> | | and dams, most notably Glen Canyon Dam and [[Hoover Dam]],<ref>http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/</ref> and also runs through the [[Grand Canyon]].<ref>http://www.nps.gov/grca/</ref> |
| | | | |
| | + | Due in part to cannabis [[water theft]], the Colorado River is drying up. Colorado River negotiations led by the [[Biden Administration]] failed in December 2022, as the seven affected southwestern states failed to agree to reductions in usage.<ref>https://www.rsn.org/001/disaster-scenarios-raise-the-stakes-for-colorado-river-negotiations.html</ref> [[California]] insists on continuing to hog more than its share would be under an equally divided allocation based on updated population and usage demands, as reported by the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' on February 2, 2023: |
| | + | {{cquote|California appears to be banking on its high-priority senior water rights, while the other states are presenting a united front to show the federal government they support a plan that would have California give up more water. ... [T]he proposal submitted by Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming ... would translate into especially large reductions for California, which uses the largest share of the river.<ref>https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-02-02/why-is-california-going-it-alone-in-colorado-river-talks</ref>}} |
| | + | |
| | + | The Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner announced in June 2022 that the Colorado River "basin required 2 to 4 million acre-feet in conservation in 2023 to stabilize the river’s largest reservoirs."<ref>https://www.kunc.org/environment/2022-09-30/federal-officials-set-their-sights-on-lower-colorado-river-evaporation-to-speed-up-conservation</ref> The federal government is putting pressure on states, particularly [[Arizona]] and perhaps [[California]], to conserve more. The federal government demands more accounting by the states of evaporation and "system losses," a chunk of which may be due to excessive [[cannabis water use]]. |
| | == 2022 Drought == | | == 2022 Drought == |
| | In August 2022, for the first time a "Tier 2" shortage was declared for the first time.<ref name="Fox">https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/lake-mead-lake-powell-colorado-river-water-cuts-drought</ref> As a result releases from the "Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams, which created Lakes Powell and Mead, will be reduced again in 2023 due to declining reservoir levels."<ref name="Fox"/> | | In August 2022, for the first time a "Tier 2" shortage was declared for the first time.<ref name="Fox">https://www.foxweather.com/extreme-weather/lake-mead-lake-powell-colorado-river-water-cuts-drought</ref> As a result releases from the "Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams, which created Lakes Powell and Mead, will be reduced again in 2023 due to declining reservoir levels."<ref name="Fox"/> |
| Line 20: |
Line 24: |
| | ===Cannabis=== | | ===Cannabis=== |
| | Merely one [[cannabis]] plant consumes nearly 1000 gallons of water annually.<ref>https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-requires-more-water-than-commodity-crops-researchers-say/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20researchers%20found,long%20from%20June%20through%20October.</ref> | | Merely one [[cannabis]] plant consumes nearly 1000 gallons of water annually.<ref>https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-requires-more-water-than-commodity-crops-researchers-say/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20the%20researchers%20found,long%20from%20June%20through%20October.</ref> |
| | + | |
| | + | ===Illegal aliens=== |
| | + | The influx of perhaps ten million illegal aliens into the southwest has greatly burdened the water shortage there. |
| | | | |
| | ==Old name== | | ==Old name== |