Would itbe expensive? The resulting fresh water would bepiped northto the thirsty state. When finished, the $62 billion project will link Chinas four main rivers and requiresconstruction of three lengthy diversion routes, one using as its basethe1,100-mile longHangzhou-to-Beijing canal, which dates from the 7th century AD. 2023 www.desertsun.com. Too wacky? Moving water from flood to drought - Phys.org Lake Superior Water Headed to the Southwest - Word on the Street All three officials said the construction of a45-mile Delta Water Project tunnel to keep supply flowing from the middle of the state to thirsty cities in the south isvital. Even if the sticker price werent so prohibitive, there are other obstacles. and planned for completion in 2050, it willdivert 44.8 billion cubic metersof water annually to major cities and agricultural and industrial centers in the parchednorth. A multi-state pipeline could easily require decades before it delivers a drop of water," said Michael Cohen, senior researcher with the Pacific Institute. Much of the sediment it was carrying was dropped in the slow moving water of the Delta. Is pumping Mississippi River water west a solution or pipe dream? Doug Ducey signed legislation this past July that invested $1.2 billion to fund projects that conserve water and bring more into the state. 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. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. But the idea hasnever completely died. Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesnt always have enough water to spare. In northwestern Iowa, a river has repeatedly been pumped dry by a rural water utility that sells at least a quarter of the water outside the state. He said wastewater reuse by area agencies has already swelled from 0.20% in the 1980sto 12% of regional water supply. 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. Vessels ran aground and had to navigate very carefully. Anyone who thinks we can drain the aquifer and survive is grossly misinformed. Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or pipe dream? Then take it out of the southern tip of the aquifer in Southern Colorado. Widespread interest in the plan eventually fizzled. Safety concerns increased in 2020 after a pipeline in Mississippi ruptured in a landslide, releasing a heavier-than-air plume of carbon dioxide that displaced oxygen near the ground. I think it would be foolhardy to dismiss it as not feasible, said Richard Rood, professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. We can move water, and weve proven our desire to do it. I have dystopian nightmares aboutpipelines marching across the landscape, saidglobal water scarcity expert Jay Famiglietti. Since about 1983, Lake Mead has dropped in volume from full capacity at. The federal Bureau of Reclamation has already looked at piping 600,000 acre-feet of water a year from either the Missouri or the Mississippi. Noting about 4.5 million gallons per second of Mississippi River flow past the Old River Control Structure in Louisiana, the letter writer explains diverting 250,000 gallons per second would. Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or pipe dream? But interest spans deeper than that. Dothey pay extra for using our water? Drought conditions plagued the region throughout 2022, for instance, prompting concerns over river navigation. Lower Mississippi River flow means less sediment carried down to Louisiana, where its used for coastal restoration. Sharing Mississippi River water with California would feed America The state also set aside funds in 2018 to study possible imports from the Missouri or Mississippi Rivers, but to date, the study hasnt been done, he said. Similar ideas have been suggested about Great Lakes water. Talk about a job-creating infrastructure project, which would rivalthe tremendous civilengineering feats our country used to be noted for. I can't even imagine what it would all cost. Million told Grist that hes secured partial funding for the project from multiple banks and the infrastructure company MasTec, but it remains unclear how much he would have to charge to make the project profitable. Those will require sacrifices, no doubt but not as many as building a giant pipeline would require, experts said. Any water diversion from the Mississippi to Arizona must be pumped about 6,000 feet up, over the Rockies. In fact, she and others noted, many such ideas have been studied since the 1940s. To Larsons knowledge, an in-depth feasibility study specifically on pumping Mississippi River water to the West hasnt been conducted yet. People need to focus on their realistic solutions.. You should worry, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. Opinion: California gave up on mandating COVID vaccines for schoolchildren. A multi-state compact already prohibits any sale of water from the Great Lakes unless all bordering states agree to it, and its almost certain that Mississippi River states would pass laws restricting water diversions, or file lawsuits against western states, if the project went forward. Among its provisions, the law granted the states water infrastructure finance authority to investigate the feasibility of potential out-of-state water import agreements. YouTube. The project would require more than 300 new dams,canals, pipelines, tunnels, and pumping stations. . Run a pipeline a few hundred miles to the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs CO which drains into Lake Powell and you are good to go. It would carry about 50,000 acre-feet of water per year, much less than the original pipeline plan but still twice Fort Collins current annual usage. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. The idea is as old and dusty as the desert Southwest: Pipe abundant Great Lakes water to parched cities out West, such as Phoenix and Las Vegas. Infrastructure is one of the few ways well turn things around to assure that theres some supply.. Citizens of Louisiana and Mississippi south of the Old River Control Structure dont need all that water. The . It would turn the Southwest into an oasis, and the Great Basin into productive farmland. Improved simulations of streamflow and base flow for selected sites within and adjacent to the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain area are important for modeling groundwater flow because surface-water flows have a substantial effect on groundwater levels. The memorial is seeking Mississippi River water as a solution to ongoing shortages on the Colorado River as water levels reach historic lows in the two largest reservoirs on the river, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. and Renstrom says that unless Utah builds a long-promised pipeline to pump water 140 miles from Lake . In northwestern Iowa, a river has repeatedly been pumped dry by a rural water utility that sells at least a quarter of the water outside the state. Specifically, start with a line from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River at Lake Powell, where a seven-state compact divvies up the water. What if our droughts get worse? Developed in 1964 by engineer Ralph Parsons and his Pasadena-basedParsons Corporation,the plan would provide 75million acre-feet of water to arid areas inCanada, the United States and Mexico. But, he said, the days of mega-pipelines in the U.S. are likely over due to lack of environmental and political will. By George Skelton Capitol Journal Columnist Aug. 30, 2021 5 AM PT SACRAMENTO The award for dumbest idea of the recall election goes to the rookie Democrat who proposed building a water. All that snow in Arizona is nice now but officials worry that it could create disastrous flooding and wildfire conditions. At one point, activists who opposed the project erected three large billboards warning about the high cost and potential consequences, such as the possibility that drawing down the Green River could harm the rivers fish populations. Reader support helps sustain our work. Moreover, we need water in our dams for hydroelectric power as well as for drinking and irrigation, so we would power the Hoover, Glen Canyon and Parker dams. "Nebraska wants to build a canal to pull water from the SouthPlatte River in Colorado, and downstream, Colorado wants to take water from the Missouri River and pull it back across Nebraska. In the meantime, researchers encourage more feasible and sustainable options, including better water conservation, water recycling, and less agricultural reliance. 2023 www.desertsun.com. YouTube, Follow us on Famiglietti saidit's time for a national water policy, not to figure out where to lay down hundreds of pipesbut to look comprehensively at the intertwining of agriculture and the lion's share ofwater it uses. You tellgolf courses how much water they can use, but one of thelargest wave basins in the world is acceptable? By Brittney J. Miller, The Cedar Rapids Gazette. The conceptsfell into a few large categories: pipe Mississippi or Missouri River water to the eastern sideof the Rockies or to Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border, bring icebergs in bags, on container ships or via trucks to Southern California, pump water from the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest to California via a subterranean pipeline on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, or replenish the headwaters of the Green River, the main stem of the Colorado River, with water from tributaries. Yet their persistence in the public sphere illustrates the growing desperation of Western states to dig themselves out of droughts. Once again, Arizona hopes to import out-of-state water in face of crisis Buying land to secure water rights would also cost a chunk of cash, which leads to an even larger obstacle for such proposals: the legal and political hoops. 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. About 60% of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity. She points to her earlyworkfor comparison. He raised the possibility that policymakers will seek to build a 900-mile pipeline from Lake Superior to the Green River watershed in southwest Wyoming.