I met a friend in Colorado Springs yesterday for a beer. We got to talking about gardening, and he said he and his wife have lots of trouble making things grow here. I told him that as gorgeous as it is here, it would unnerve me to think about living here long-term, given the critical water shortage the American West is facing, and will continue to face because of advancing climate change. And this particular region could face an acute water shortage and more dust storms this summer. This is not theoretical; it's really happening:
It is all part of a cycle, researchers say, in which the warming climate at lower elevations creates conditions that exacerbate pollution problems in the snow-topped mountain peaks, reducing the the snow's reflective capacity and soaking up more heat.This year is a classic example, said Painter, whose Snow Optics Laboratory operates a system of monitors that measures snow reflectivity across the Rockies.
Researchers in Painters' group realized the West was poised for a bad dust season when snow and rainfall all but stopped in the Colorado Plateau region in January, February and March -- typically high-volume precipitation months. Meanwhile, warming temperatures at lower elevations prompted plants to bloom before they had sufficient water, and the resulting dead vegetation exposed the parched soil underneath, creating more dust.
"We were expecting this," Painter said. "But even when you're expecting something you don't always necessarily want to believe your eyes."
My friend said that his Colorado Springs neighborhood is an example of the pig-headed failure of humans to adapt to reality. Said he, "Everybody in our neighborhood has a green lawn, which is not normal for a High Plains desert region. It requires lots of water to keep those lawns green. And you have to use it, because there's a covenant forcing everybody to have and maintain healthy lawns."
That is, green lawns are foolish and unsustainable, but the rules won't let homeowners do the sensible thing. How long can we keep this up?
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One factor in our diminishing water supply that hasn't been discussed much here is the ever-increasing amount of pavement and sprawling concrete/glass/asphalt-shingled structures that accelerate rainwater runoff to the tributaries (and eventually the sea). As more and more of the earth's surface area is covered by non-absorptive materials, rainwater is shunted directly into drainage systems, thus lowering the water table and retarding the replenishment of underground aquifers. Also, because of the high temperatures these materials can reach during the daytime hours (140°F and even higher), some portion of the precipitation hitting these surfaces is vaporized and returned to the atmosphere in very short order.
Huge swathes of impermeable, hot surfaces are hardly conducive to good water reclamation and retention in any community. If you want to see a suburban desert environment, look no further than the parking lot of your nearest Walmart.
Spambalaya - I can attest to the accuracy of your remarks - we never had any flooding on my road until - uphill - a forested area was converted into a subdivision - with huge lawns, roads and lots of driveways - now we have major flooding. Water is no longer absorbed into the forest floor - but runs off down the hill into our basements, eroding the hill, and flooding the road. Great stuff.
One of the reasons aquifers fail to recharge is exactly this - runoff due to lawns and hard surfaces.
Hard surfaces - driveways roads etc - also raise the air temperature and contribute to inversions and stagnant air pollution.
Simple common sense would prevent most of this - like gravel driveways instead of macadam, leaving greenbelts of forest in developments.
Most of the most idiotic things I have seen is the prohibition against hanging ones laundry. Seems especially in town home communities, people think laundry is unsightly. Huh? Half naked people everywhere - but underwear on the clothes line disturbs people?
Re: lawns - someone took this issue to the supreme court - which ruled that at least in that case - one could have wildflowers or a meadow instead of a lawn.
We will migrate, but only after we've devastated the rivers and foothills with reservoirs and dams. I imagine a day when we have all the water we need -- we'll sleep on water beds, grow blueberries and cranberries in man-made bogs, play at water parks, install fire hydrants just so we can bust them open and play in the spray because we saw it in a movie -- and we'll look at out wasted wilderness and say, "Why do we live here?" and we'll move to Seattle.
Somewhat OT:
"Living the dream, with goats"
So Rod, when are you and Julie going to get some?
I have watered my lawn exactly once in six years and that was only to activate a fire ant treatment. Gardens are a different colored horse altogether, though, but there are ways to reduce there, too. Targeted watering systems, aka a 2-liter bottle buried upside down next to a plant, work wonders at saving water.
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