The Colorado River Does Not Reach 2030 (opens in new tab)

(drlennecefer.substack.com)

39 pointsThemalSpan1mo ago16 comments

16 comments

> They were very good at filing amicus briefs. They were very good at negotiating consent decrees. They were very good at producing reports. They had professionalized advocacy to the point where the people doing the advocating had more in common, socioeconomically and culturally, with the people they were negotiating against than with the communities bearing the consequences of the failures they were negotiating about.

Great writing.

exabrial1mo ago

> My water bill has doubled since 2025

The problem is, we have this expectation that we can live and do things in the desert and everything will just be fine.

_That_ is the problem. The solution is to let prices increase "out of control" until there's response from people to change their habits, or new solutions that were previously unprofitable emerge.

idontwantthis1mo ago

Humans consuming water are not the problem. It’s the insane agriculture happening across the west.

toomuchtodo1mo ago

If agriculture won't change its practices, the solution is to pump the aquifers dry as quickly as possible agriculture is most exposed to, and then to acquire the land at a steep discount (based on the impaired future ag productivity) for conservation in a land trust.

stockresearcher1mo ago

If the price of water for residential consumptions rises too much, the humans would probably vote in favor of things that would make insane agricultural consumption unviable.

Property taxes that accurately account for the relative value of property with water rights vs those that don’t. Excise taxes on water pumping. Etc.

idontwantthis1mo ago

The problem is that they don’t pay their fair share. Farms get insanely low rates and grow things like alfalfa that doesn’t even feed people but requires an insane amount of water.

Las Vegas recycles almost 100% of its indoor water usage and minimizes outdoor usage. They pay you to remove your lawn and almost all of them are gone.

2 more replies

exabrial1mo ago

Thats exactly what I'm saying.

iJohnDoe1mo ago

This essay was really good and I think will prove to be pretty accurate in the long run. Not sure about 2030, but we’re certainly headed in that direction.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

16 comments

hyperhello1mo ago

Great writing.

exabrial1mo ago

> My water bill has doubled since 2025

The problem is, we have this expectation that we can live and do things in the desert and everything will just be fine.

_That_ is the problem. The solution is to let prices increase "out of control" until there's response from people to change their habits, or new solutions that were previously unprofitable emerge.

idontwantthis1mo ago

Humans consuming water are not the problem. It’s the insane agriculture happening across the west.

toomuchtodo1mo ago

stockresearcher1mo ago

If the price of water for residential consumptions rises too much, the humans would probably vote in favor of things that would make insane agricultural consumption unviable.

Property taxes that accurately account for the relative value of property with water rights vs those that don’t. Excise taxes on water pumping. Etc.

idontwantthis1mo ago

The problem is that they don’t pay their fair share. Farms get insanely low rates and grow things like alfalfa that doesn’t even feed people but requires an insane amount of water.

Las Vegas recycles almost 100% of its indoor water usage and minimizes outdoor usage. They pay you to remove your lawn and almost all of them are gone.

2 more replies

exabrial1mo ago

Thats exactly what I'm saying.

iJohnDoe1mo ago

This essay was really good and I think will prove to be pretty accurate in the long run. Not sure about 2030, but we’re certainly headed in that direction.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse