Wayne Meulendyk

Open letter to the US House Committee on Natural Resources

Congratulations on passing the 2019 Seven-State Colorado River Drought Relief Plan.

One other thing ..

It may be smarter to fix the problem instead of trying to mitigate the problem. The root problem here is that the water cycle has been broken. I agree that it may not be able to be totally fixed, but the problem can be greatly reduced.

What is the water cycle?

The water cycle is somewhat simple, but complex in that it has many moving parts. Let me explain the simple. Water evaporates from its place on the ground and is taken up as water vapor to be turned into rain and snow. The rain and snow are redeposited on land and makes its way into the river. The river flows and returns the water to the point where it started so that it can be evaporated again. I know that this is oversimplified, but good for a brief description of the process.

What broke the water cycle?

As always there is no one cause, but there can be a primary cause. In this case the many causes can include Climate Change, but I do not think this is the primary cause. I believe the primary cause is the redirection of water from Colorado River outside of its watershed [1].

How can this happen?

For people inside the watershed; this is common knowledge, but for the others… The Colorado River is the source of drinking and irrigation water for many places far removed from the Colorado River watershed. The water has been being removed since 1870 [2] with increasing quantiles in more recent years. Now large quantities are being channeled or piped great distances to be used for drinking water, crop irrigation and various industrial purposes. Once the water leaves the local watershed it does not easily reenter the local water cycle.

Is there evidence that the water cycle is broken?

Yes. There is clear evidence. It is obvious because the Colorado River runs dry [3] before it reaches its outlet in the ocean. This is not normal for a river to have a smaller flow at its end than in its middle.

How can this be fixed?

This can be fixed with some relatively simple engineering tasks. These tasks will require much less effort that was expended to divert the water. With the completion of these tasks it is almost assured that the water cycle can be healed.

Task One:

Fill Laguna Salada, Mexico with ocean water from an open-flow channel dug between the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) and Laguna Salada. Laguna Salada was fed by the Colorado River, but Laguna Salada has been essentially dry since 2000 [4]. There is a water path from Laguna Salada to the Sea of Cortez intended to channel excess water to the ocean. The task which needs completion is to deepen this water path so that the water flow is reversed, and Laguna Salada is filled with ocean water. Once Laguna Salada is refilled with water; that water can begin its work to replenish the Colorado River watershed with rain and snow.

Task Two:

Create the Borrego Valley Reservoir; a new ocean water reservoir between Salton Sea and Laguan Salada. This reservoir is to be fed by Laguna Salada. I am not sure that anyone has ever proposed this before; regardless, this is a logical next phase in repairing the water cycle. The work would require a gravity flow cannel to be dug from Laguna Salada into southern California, where the Borrego Valley Reservoir can be built using the excavated soil from the construction of the canal. This area is also below sea level and is desert with little habitation. The Borrego Valley Reservoir will provide additional water surface area from which water can evaporate to replenish the water cycle rain and snow.

Task Three:

Refill the Salton Sea with ocean water by a restricted flow channel from the Borrego Valley Reservoir. The optimum fix for the water cycle would be to refill Lake Cahuilla [5], but this would dislocate many area residents so it likely will not occur. The best alternative is to refill the Salton Sea to its historic optimum level. This can be done by a gravity flow restricted water release from the Borrego Valley Reservoir. The water could be used for power generation as it travels to the Salton Sea, but this enhancement can be added later. What is most important is to increase the Salton Sea water level so that there is more surface area for evaporation.

Task Four:

Increase the surface level of The Great Salt Lake, Utah. This may occur naturally with the completion of the above three tasks, but there is a more direct method of assuring the water level in The Great Salt Lake. The task here is to create a gravity flow channel from the Snake River, Idaho to The Great Salt Lake. Idaho is experiencing drought related problems, but they have water flowing from their state into the Pacific Ocean via the Snake River. Some of that water could be diverted into The Great Salt Lake, which would then evaporate and return to Idaho in form of Rain and Snow to replenish the Snake and Colorado Rivers.

These tasks sound like lots of effort.

These tasks sound like lots of effort, but the effort is worth the cost. We humans need to be good stewards of our home planet and when we break something, we should repair it. The effort to conduct these tasks is much less than the effort which has been expended to remove water from the Colorado River. In comparison these are simple tasks.

[1] https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/colorado-river-timeline

[2] https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hisdiv.html

[3] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-colorado-river-runs-dry-61427169/

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmJOh34OWO0&t=125s

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Cahuilla

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Mexico Holds One of the Keys to Reversing Climate Change.

Unfortunately…

Mexico has not used that key and the solution remains securely locked. Mexico has expressed a commitment to helping solve Climate Change by their signing the Paris Accord, but seems oblivious to this easy opportunity which only they can accomplish.

What is this easy opportunity?

Fill Laguna Salada with ocean water from the Sea of Cortez.

What is Laguna Salada?

Laguna Salada is a below-sea-level depression which until recently has been filled with salt water.

Why is it dry?

In the past; Laguna Salada has been filled by water from the Colorado River. In recent years people have found more and more uses for the Colorado River water which inhibits the refilling of Laguna Salada because the Colorado River water is diverted before can arrive at Laguna Salada. See time-lapse video of Laguna Salada from 1984 to 2017 which illustrates the total loss of all water over time.

Why is this an easy opportunity?

Move the Water! into Laguna Salada from The Sea of Cortez.

There is an existing water path between Laguna Salada and the Sea of Cortez. This water path (dry creek bed) was straightened and shortened in recent years. The work that needs to be accomplished today is to make that canal deeper so that the non-existing out-flow from Laguna Salada is reversed to an in-flow from the Sea of Cortez. The effort required to is minimal because the canal already exists, its path is defined, and its length is about 60 miles (120 kilometers). There is minimal excavation required.

How does this help reverse Climate Change?

The first thing…

The first thing it accomplishes is a reduction of the ocean level. The oceans are rising because of the melting of the glaciers. The water that melts off them can flow into Laguna Salada. Any water which flows out of the ocean into Laguna Salada is water which is not in the ocean anymore, so the ocean level is lower.

The second thing…

The second thing is that Laguna Salada is located in a very hot, very dry, very windy place. This means that the water in Laguna Salada will evaporate quickly and be carried away from Laguna Salada. As the water evaporates, the ocean level will be further reduced to refill Laguna Salada.

The third thing…

The third thing is that the water which evaporates into the atmosphere will be carried away from Laguna Salada. Water vapor carried east or west will return to Laguna Salada as rain water flowing down from the flanking mountains. Water vapor carried south it will return to the Sea of Cortez. Water vapor carried north it will indirectly replenish the Colorado River watershed; which will begin to reverse the mega-drought and help the whole Colorado River watershed and it’s the varied water users.

The fourth thing…

The evaporation of water from Laguna Salada should lower local ambient temperatures. According to the USGS; heat is removed from the environment during evaporation, leading to a net cooling. In climates where the humidity is low and the temperatures are hot, evaporation can lower the air temperature by 20 degrees F.

The fifth thing…

Where ever the evaporated moisture falls it will encourage plant growth. Plant growth will help heal the atmosphere by absorbing carbon and by cooling the local environment.

The sixth thing…

Mexico holds part of another key…

After Laguna Salada is filled with sea water, a canal should be built north to the USA border so the USA can join with it and refill the Salton Sea. Refilling the Salton Sea continues all the above benefits to a second location.

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The Great Salt Lake

Will It Soon Be The Great Salt Dust-Bowl?

This discussion is greatly simplified, but… The Great Salt Lake was created by water left behind from some global event. Theories include the Ice Age and/or the Biblical Flood. It was massive in size, covering about a quarter of Utah. It is much smaller today and regardless of how it was formed, it is there, and it has unique circumstances.

Unique Circumstances.

The Great Salt Lake is the central/lowest point in the Great Salt Lake watershed. All the water in this watershed eventually drains down into The Great Salt Lake. Water enters and leaves this watershed by airborne moisture. On balance a little more water leaves than is received. This negative flow in the airborne watershed means that sooner or later The Great Salt Lake will become an empty hole in the ground. An example of this is Death Valley.

So? Isn’t That Natural?

It is the natural course that it has been following for centuries. That does not mean that man should not try to find a way to change its future.

What Happens If It Goes Dry?

If The Great Salt Lake is allowed to go dry, there will be serious consequences for the residents of Utah, and the other six surrounding states.

For Utah

The people of Utah are using nearly all their fresh water, so it is not returning to The Great Salt Lake. But The Great Salt Lake provides most of their airborne moisture; which is used to replenish their fresh water by providing rain and snow. Granted that some of the airborne moisture comes from other parts of USA, but the larger volume is created from evaporation off The Great Salt Lake water. If The Great Salt Lake is dry; then no moisture; which means no rain or snow; which means no fresh water. Just that simple.

For Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming

The Great Salt Lake is a large contributor to the airborne watershed which encompasses these states. The people of these states gain all their fresh water from rain and snow. Much of this moisture is obtained from evaporation off The Great Salt Lake. If the Great Salt Lake becomes a dry hole; much of the needed rain and snow will not be available. There will be local Climate Change.

Can this Be Stopped?

Active Climate Rescue Initiative believes that this can be stopped. The solution is simple. Allow some of the water in Idaho’s Snake River to flow into The Great Salt Lake. As projects go; this one would be kind of simple: dig a canal.

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Cause of USA Mega-Drought

There is no one cause for anything related the Southwest USA Mega-Drought, just as there is no one cause for to Global Warming and Climate Change, but just go with me for a minute on this one. The draining of the Colorado River water for human use is the cause of the 20-year mega-drought in the southwest USA. This is greatly simplified but follow my logic on this…

Water Moves in a Cycle

Water moves in a cycle greater than local watersheds. The water for the southwest USA begins in Mexico’s Laguna Salada. The water in Laguna Salada evaporates into the atmosphere and creates precipitation (fog, mist, rain, and snow). This moisture is moved north by wind patterns into the southwest USA. It comes to earth in the Colorado River watershed. Once in the river it flows to Mexico. On arrival in Mexico it fills Laguna Salada. The water in Laguna Salada evaporates into the atmosphere and creates precipitation. The cycle is perpetual until something breaks the circle…

Colorado River Watershed Hydrologic Cycle. Red arrows are general direction of water movements

Water Being Diverted

In a closed terrarium water just keeps being recycled. There is no reason to add more. In real life, there is no closed loop. Laguna Salada has gone dry. The water used to refill it is used and syphoned off to other places outside of the watershed. The escaping water must be replaced for the system to continue to function. In this case that replacement water can most easily be replaced by refilling Mexico’s Laguna Salada. How can this be done? How can we refill a large body of water? This is really a very simple thing to do.

Laguna Salada is dry beginning in 1999 through present. The Water Cycle has been broken for 20+years.

The Water’s (now-dry) Path.

The Colorado River flowed to Mexico. It is connected to Laguna Salada by the Coyote Canal. What was no not used to fill Laguna Salada continued into the Gulf of California. Because of the water diversions from the Colorado River, the Colorado River is dry before it reaches the Coyote Canal. The Colorado River no longer feeds Laguna Salada or the Gulf of California. The end result is that the Hydrologic Cycle of the Colorado River Watershed is broken.

Move the Water.

The Move the Water! initiative proposes to refill Laguna Salada with sea-water. What is needed is to create open channel flow, reverse the flow of the Coyote Canal so that ocean-water can flow up the streambed from the Gulf of California to Laguna Salada. The Coyote Canal must be deepened and widened which will allow free inflow of water from Gulf or California to Laguna Salada. This will fix the now broken water cycle and eventually eliminate the mega-drought.

Mexico’s Commitment to End Climate Change.

The loss of the water in the Colorado River Watershed is one of the causes of Climate Change. The removal of that water allows the area to become warmer. Mexico made a it clear in Paris that they wanted to do their part in reversing Climate Change. This is their opportunity, and it is a low-cost project to undertake. The work in Mexico could be done in a surprisingly short time frame; easily less than a year. Once completed the drought can begin to end and climate Change can be mitigated.

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Why Active Climate Rescue Initiative?

(Non-Christians should not read this. You would just not understand it.)

Active Climate Rescue Initiative exists because I believe that God led me to do this work. I believe that He has made known to me how to help reverse Climate Change and encouraged me to publish this information to any who will listen.

Here is how God called me to do this; using the foundation of the book: God Told Me by Jim Samara; Baker Books, 2012

God’s Voice, pages 96 & 100

The premise of this section is that “… God does indeed have a distinguishable ‘voice’ which he intends for us to be able to recognize, … The key to recognizing [God’s] distinctive voice is to train our minds using his known patterns of communication.”

I believe that I know God’s voice because for many years I have been listening to him. I have come to know Him through: Attending church since youth; Personal Bible study; Participating in group Bible studies; and Taking seminary classes. I can see and understand God’s will, and I believe that I can spot a counterfeit when it presents itself.

I believe that this effort of Active Climate Rescue Initiative is God inspired in me; all its missions fit within the will of God and His desires for the people of this earth; and that all its actions will be honoring to Him.

God Calls Us to Trust Him More, pages 103-106

“It is helpful to recognize that God usually encourages us down paths that require us to rely on him more and less on ourselves or others. … God’s guidance often defies human wisdom. To put it bluntly, if we follow God’s leading someone should think we are crazy.”

This is truly the case here. How can I, one person of no importance, so clearly see this one simple thing which can have such great impact on Climate Change; while so many billions of other people do not recognize its potential for good?

God Tells Us to Humbly and Sacrificially Love Others, page 106-107

“God is love…. God demonstrated what true love looks like; it is not all about warm, fuzzy feelings, but concrete, sacrificial service done in humility, even for one’s enemy.”

The service I put into conducting the business of Active Climate Rescue Initiative are sacrificial.

First; as of this moment I am not receiving remuneration for my efforts and there are other things which are not getting done while I expend the efforts needed to ‘save the world’.

Second; the effects of my efforts will be most received by people living in desert areas of our earth, while I likely will only receive tangential benefits because I live in a moist region.

Third; the effects of my efforts will be received gradually with possible benefits to me received years after my efforts have been expended, and possibly after I have expired.

The efforts I put into conducting the business of Active Climate Rescue Initiative are done in humility. My name will never be praised because of this effort. This work is being done by the organization: Active Climate Rescue Initiative; of which I hope to be only one worker-bee.

The benefits received from my efforts conducting the business of Active Climate Rescue Initiative are for all humanity, not just my friends and certainly not excluding any enemies. I do not think I have any enemies. I suppose that “enemy” status need not be reciprocal. There may be some who may consider me an enemy, without even knowing me, based on some aspect of my physical being, or religious/political affiliations. The efforts of Active Climate Rescue Initiative will benefit all people around the world as it mitigates the effects of Climate Change.

God Supports His Social Structures, pages 107-109

“… one of the distinguishing characteristics of God’s voice is that he directs us in ways that strengthen the socials structures he has ordained.”

The goals of Active climate Rescue Initiative are too large to be conducted outside of local governmental units, and in many cases will require the cooperation of multiple governments to complete any one project.

God Does Not Work in Confusion, pages 109-110

“God does not work in confusion, dissension, miscommunication, misunderstanding, disloyalty, or doubt … to speak words of guidance to us.”

All through this process I have sensed only clear understanding of what God desires of me. I have seen where others have had similar ideas; all with alternate motives. I am assured that God wishes this work to commence for the general benefit of mankind. There has been no confusion in my mind or in what I have observed.

God Tells Us Not to Fear, pages 110-112

“… God does not use … fear or discouragement to guide us. … that panic that can arise as we think about the daunting nature of a task; that fear of failure, or the thought that we are not good enough. [If] Something or someone is trying to discourage us from embracing this path, … it is not God.”

Even though this is a large undertaking; there has been none of this in my mind during the process which God has used to bring me to the point of creating Active Climate Rescue Initiative.

God Says Unexpected and Mysterious Things, pages 112-114

“When we hear a voice tell us to do something that we have never considered, … there is a strong possibility that God is speaking to us. … God’s ways and thoughts are far beyond our ways and thoughts. Therefore, it makes sense that when God speaks to us, some of what he will say will never have even occurred to us before.”

Imagine my surprise (about 20 years ago) when I began to have the thought that the Dead Sea needed to have infusion of ocean water. Why should I care? I have no connection to the Dead Sea; yet the thought was pervasive and prevalent in my mind.

Chapter 3, The Inner Prompting of the Spirit; page 76

“The inner prompting of the Spirit is an indefinable sense that God is telling you which way to go and what to do, usually at a completely unexpected time.”

This is what it was like for me. The thought that the Dead Sea needed an infusion of water. Why do I care? What can I do about this thought? But I continued to experience the thought, it was pervasive.

Circumstances; page 85

“Most of us can look back on a number of days that were marked by a chance meeting, a phone call, an accident of circumstances, a penetrating insight, a conversation, or another of a myriad of seemingly small events that today holds special significance for us…When we recognize the influence of these occurrences, it makes us wonder if under the veil of the ordinary God isn’t whispering a word in our ears.”

That best explains my movement toward creating Active Climate Rescue Initiative.

The first piece of this puzzle came in High School where I learned one simple fact in Earth Science Class: As air passes across the windward side of the mountain, most of the moisture is drawn out of it. This is because the air cools as it rises up the slope of the mountain and condenses, leading to clouds and rain. On the leeward side of the mountain, the climate is warmer and drier; as the air moves down the opposite side of the mountain, it loses its moisture and warms up. Scientists call this the rain shadow effect.

As with all single pieces of a puzzle; it made no sense to me. Learning that was a beacon of light to me. It was an astounding piece of data for which I had no use, but which caused me much interest.

The second puzzle piece is my pervasive compulsion to ‘help’ water in puddles drain out. Digging small ditches between puddles to connect them, and then just watch the water flow into its new home.

The third puzzle piece was in ≈2000 when I had the odd thought that the Dead Sea should be filled with sea water. I began to study this did research as to how this could be accomplished. While having dinner with a Grand Rapids Theological Seminary Professor one evening; I mentioned my thought and he was enthused to pull out his topographical maps of the middle east and we looked to see that a 200 km canal dug only 200 m deep would make the connection between the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea.

I then started to wonder why the Dead Sea was evaporating to nothing and realized that the rain shadow effect was at work here. This then expanded to my mind that the rain shadow effect was likely the cause of most of the below sea level dry areas on the globe.

Could the thought of filling the Dead Sea be expanded to other places around the world? I tool a look around and found seven major places where water could be moved to fill a dry (or diminishing) depression.

But what good is gained by taking this action? I realized that if any one of these locations were able to have an open channel to the ocean, it would create a very large surface area of water in a hot dry environment, which would result in evaporation and subsequent rain for the desert dwellers.

With the advent of Global Warming, now called Climate Change; a bible verse came to my mind. The LORD God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for it and to maintain it. Genesis 2:15 (NET)

To me this was telling me that it is our job to maintain God’s creation as best we can, and that means to help solve Climate Change.

I began to see that in all these hot dry areas, where there is a dry depression caused by the rain shadow effect, there is also desert. So, if there is a way to move water into these dry depressions, then the water will be past the mountain, and the transpiration cycle can begin anew in that dry place which will revitalize the area. I could see how this would change the world and reduce the effects of Climate Change.

The progress of this thought covered about 20 years. During that time, I was not in any position to undertake the goal placed in my mind. Today, I am convinced that these thoughts were God inspired, which is further confirmed by the realization that he has placed me in a position where I can fully commit to their execution. That is why I am doing this instead of so many other things which could fill my retirement years.

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“THE SKY IS FALLING!”

Is Climate Change really Occurring?

Chicken Little (aka: Henny Penny or Chicken Licken) is a chicken who believes the world is coming to an end. I guess everything comes to an end, so I think Chicken Little is right; the world is coming to an end, but when, why and how? Many people have strongly held views on this topic. Scientists disagree on the reality of Climate Change. The cause of Global Warming is disputed. Political entities use the topic to gather votes from their constituents. Fear of this change is promoted for various reasons. Facts are hidden or distorted to meet someone’s private/political/economic goals.

What is the truth?

The absolute truth may not be known for many years; regardless, I think that you will find the goals of Active Climate Rescue Initiative agreeable regardless of your opinion on Climate Change. Which of the below matches your opinion?

Climate Change is a dire threats to our lives!

If you agree that Climate Change and Global Warming are dire threats to our lives and way of living; the activities and actions Active Climate Rescue Initiative proposes will encourage positive climate change. Our solution will reduce ocean levels; remove carbon from the atmosphere, and create a cooler earth.

This time, Climate Change is manmade!

If you think that Climate Change and Global Warming are worsened or completely caused by man’s irresponsible actions; proposals of Active Climate Rescue Initiative will initiate an active manmade repair of our environment. This repair will encourage positive climate change with an immediate (granted very small) reduction of ocean levels. this ocean level reduction will be nearly automatic and continuously ongoing after it has been implemented. The additional automatic benefits include the removal carbon from the atmosphere, and creation of a greener and cooler earth.

Climate Change is cyclical.

If you agree that Climate Change is just a cyclical phenomenon beyond our hope of interference; the activities and actions Active Climate Rescue Initiative proposes may help steer the natural progression away from the extremes, and at the same time improve the living conditions for millions of people around the globe. The proposals will aid the hydrological cycle in arid places around our world. Bringing water to these places will assist in moderating global temperatures which will have a calming effect on our environment.

Climate Change is a hoax!

Even if you think that Climate Change and Global Warming don’t even exist; the activities and actions Active Climate Rescue Initiative can work to make uninhabitable places around our world become inhabitable. We expect that wee will be assisting in the creation of areas for new cities and farms in places that now are just desert. We envision beautiful new places for boating and fishing; tourist destinations which previously were just dry and deadly. We expect an environmental benefit to people in many areas around the globe.

Regardless of your view point on this topic…

The goals of Active Climate Rescue Initiative are agreeable regardless of your opinion on Climate Change. This effort is really a WIN-WIN situation for all.