Dear Bureau of Reclamation. Let’s not work to endure the mega-drought. Let’s overcome the mega-drought! Read how to break the Mega-Drought!
According to the Bureau of Reclamation Near-term Colorado River Operations Revised Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement,1 “… the Colorado River Basin is currently experiencing a prolonged period of aridification caused by climate change, with extended periods of drought and record low-runoff conditions.” The root cause according to this statement is “climate change”, and that is a fact, but: A) What caused this specific climate change? B) Do we have the ability to address and reverse this specific climate change?
This report just accepts this climate change. It does not address the questions. It works from the point of view that this climate change exists and cannot be altered. The truth is that the cause of this climate change can be identified, and once identified it can be addressed. I challenge the Bureau of Reclamation to investigate this path.
A) The Cause.
Simply stated, the cause is misuse of the natural resource provided by the Colorado River. Humans have robbed nature, drained the river dry, taken all of its essence, and returned nothing back to nature. Nature will not be abused without punishment for its abuser.
Here Is What Happened.
Beginning around 1940, humans took all the water out of the Colorado River. In doing so they turned a 3,000 sq-mi, green, verdant, delta region into a 3,000 sq-mi, brown, dry, dead desert. This is local climate change, and this ecological disaster comes with unintended consequences.
Colorado River Delta, Baja, MX.
Lost because of this change is the moisture above the previously verdant land. This atmospheric moisture was the first piece of a hydrologic cycle, one of the hydrologic cycles which feeds the headwaters of the Colorado River. Over the years following the disrupted river flow, as this nice green place dried up, the atmospheric moisture did not blow north to hydrate Laguna Salada.
Laguna Salada, Baja, MX.
Laguna Salada is an inland sea which is flanked by the Sierra de Los Cocopah and the Sierra de Juárez mountain ranges. In the years following 1940, as the delta was turning to dust, Laguna Salada began to diminish. Laguna Salada is hydrated in two ways. The first being the diminishing atmospheric moisture received from the south. The second being directly fed from the Colorado River overflow, but with the river no longer flowing past Mexicali, MX, there is nothing available for Laguna Salada. Beginning in 1999, except for intermittent tidal flows, Laguna Salada is dry. Lost is the fishing grounds for the Cocopah Indian Tribe. Lost is the evaporated atmospheric moisture from Laguna Salada, which no longer blows north into the Imperial Valley and its Salton Sea.
Domino-Drought.
The first domino was the local multi-year drought in the Colorado river delta. It was the first in a series of domino-droughts. Without the delta’s moisture, the next domino was the local drought in the vicinity of Laguna Salada. From here the dominos fell to the north, creating a cascade of droughts which created the mega-drought.
Salton Sea, Imperial Valley, CA, USA.
The Salton Sea is fraught with problems, most of which could be eliminated if direct seawater import was established. The Salton Sea’s heyday was in the 1950s, but after that it has experienced multiple problems resulting in its diminishing in size, a foul aroma, and polluted hypersaline water. The water level of the Salton Sea has diminished because of a lack of atmospheric moisture from Laguna Salada, reduced inflow from farm irrigation overflow, and diversion of water to LA. The reduced surface area of the Salton Sea has reduced its evaporated atmospheric moisture, which has encouraged the mega-drought.
The Great Basin, USA.
The Great Basin is a unique place in the southwest USA which includes parts of over 5 states with its center covering Nevada. This is an arid land; it has a moisture deficit. Its moisture enters from the west and south. Its west edge is along the Pacific Ocean, but the ocean’s moisture is mostly blocked by the Sierra Nevada with its rain shadow effect. The southern edge allows some moisture to enter the Great Basin from the Imperial Valley region of California, but the mega-drought has reduced that moisture flow greatly in recent years. The Great Basin is becoming drier, which is evidenced by the Great Salt Lake diminishing. A portion of the moisture outflow from the Great Basin feeds the headwaters of the Colorado River.
Colorado River Headwaters.
We finally reach the headwaters of the Colorado River. These headwaters are fed by mountain precipitation in the form of snow and rain. This snow and rain come from the atmospheric moisture of more than one hydrologic cycle. One of these cycles comes from the Great Basin, but this hydrologic cycle has been broken. Because this hydrologic cycle is broken there is less moisture delivered as rain and snow to the headwaters of the Colorado river, which thus delivers less water flow into the Colorado River.
A) The Cause. – Summary.
By draining the Colorado River dry, by creating a desert where once was a wetland, by allowing Laguna Salada to disappear, and by allowing the Salton Sea to shrink; the hydrologic cycle was broken. The broken mega-drought is causing a climate change in the entire southwestern USA, which is delivering less water to the headwaters of the Colorado River, which reduces the flow of the Colorado river, which is causing the depletion of the Colorado River reservoirs. The unintended consequence of diverting the freshwater out of its watershed is this ecological disaster which will not right itself in the foreseeable future without intervention.
B) Are We Able?
There is something humans can do to address and reverse this specific climate change. We can add moisture to the Great Basin and reverse the moisture deficit. We cannot affect the atmospheric moisture inflow, but we can add water into the basin. Remembering that moving freshwater out of its watershed comes with unintended consequences, that must be avoided. Instead, we can move saltwater without repercussions. If we use a water path which includes the Colorado river delta, Laguna Salada, and the Salton Sea we can mitigate some of the ecological damage we have wreaked on nature.
Refill Laguna Salada.
We can reverse the flow of the existing Coyote Canal. This will infuse some moisture into the Colorado River delta while using gravity flow to fill Laguna Salada.
Refill The Salton Sea.
We can extend the Coyote canal from Laguna Salada into the Salton Sea. This needs to be a metered canal to prevent overfilling the Salton Sea.
Bring Water Into The Great Basin.
No matter what path is chosen for the seawater it must cross the mountains to enter the Great Basin. The route suggested here brings with it benefits to other places as the water moves from inland sea to inland sea. Using this path will keep these inland seas fresh, saving them from becoming terminal salt ponds. Pumping the oceanwater into Death Valley is the most logical place to put it. Death Valley is the low point in the Great Basin. Any moisture put into the Great Basin will eventually reside in Death Valley. By depositing the saltwater into Death Valley, it places the salt in the place where it will ultimately settle. Bringing saltwater into Death Valley will instigate a water cycle within the Great Basin which will encompass the whole of the Great Basin and will eventually convert this desert into arable lands.
How To Pay For This Water Transfer?
The users of the Colorado River water have been receiving the water at no charge for decades, and we all know that nothing is free. The cost that has been paid is the broken hydrologic cycle. Bringing ocean water into the Great Basin will be costly. Yet not doing it will condemn the southwest USA to decades more of this drought so that it will become the new normal. This cost of the water transfer can be paid by a fee charged to all who extract Colorado River water. For each gallon they extract, they are charged the cost of pumping a gallon into Death Valley. By implementing this fee, the oceanwater can be placed in the Great Basin and the water cycle can begin to heal. With the Great Basin rehydrated, moisture deposited into the snowpack in the Colorado mountains will return to its full potential and the Colorado River will return to full flow. Other rivers fed by the same snowpack will also benefit from the repaired hydrologic cycle.
A Job For US Bureau Of Reclamation.
Because the mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public, this is just the project for them. They have the management skills to coordinate the development and the operation of this project. The environment will be repaired, and the water resources of the Colorado River, Great Salt Lake, and Salton Sea will be protected. The project will compensate for the ecological damage done to the southwestern USA as a result of the mismanagement of the Colorado River water. Returning full flow to the Colorado river, refilling the Great Salt Lake and the Salton Sea are in the interest of the American public. The cost of the project will be economical because it will have fee-based funding applied to usage of Colorado River water; it will be paid for by the users of the water.
B) Are We Able? – Summary.
Yes, we are able to accomplish this. We are able to dig a ditch from ocean to Laguna Salada. We are able to dig a ditch from Laguna Salada to Salton Sea. We are able to pump water over a mountain. Two simple steps and one harder step. Other than the pumping, everything operates using nature’s rules and processes. All the science is well proven and documented. The process can be monitored and adjusted to meet the desired results; not too much or too little. Humans just need to take ownership of the damage caused and realize the need to give back to nature.
Proponent.
Move the Water! is the proposed initiative of Active Climate Rescue Initiative. Active Climate Rescue Initiative is founded to actively rescue our climate by encouraging positive climate change through water relocation into earth’s water deficit areas. Anyplace in the world where there is a dry depression is a place where there is a moisture deficit. These places are the key to reversing climate change. By infusing these places with water from an open flow inlet, moisture can be reintroduced into the local environment through hydrologic processes. Active Climate Rescue Initiative is a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation approved by the USA IRS as a 501.c.3 Public Charity.
Help Reverse Climate Change
Your small donation to Active Climate Rescue Initiative will help reverse Global Warming. Reversing Global Warming and stopping Climate Change is our only goal, and we know how to do it. Your support will allow us to broadcast our message and save the world. Someone must do it. Be part of the someone. Donate today.
Footnote
Near-term Colorado River Operations Revised Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, OCT-2023, pp1.1, pg 1-2, line 7.
It is not really Climate Change’s fault. We created this climate change, so we must fix it. This must be done!
Is it really Climate Change?
Everybody is blaming Climate Change, so it must be true. Let’s study the problem with the Colorado River. Let’s see if it’s Climate Change causing the diminishing flow of the Colorado River or if misuse of the river’s water is causing climate change?
How Can Water Be Misused?
Something we have learned by experience is that if you move fresh water out of its watershed, there will be unintended consequences. The more water you remove the greater the surprise.
We Removed Lots Of Water.
During the last century humans have redirected Colorado River water out of its watershed. In this case “lots” means all of it. A normal river will begin as a stream and end by dumping huge amounts of water into the ocean. Just think of all that nice freshwater being dumped into the salty ocean. What a waste of valuable freshwater! So, shouldn’t it be diverted before it is lost? Well, we did and the unexpected happened.
What was the unexpected?
The river delta at the end of the Colorado River covered 9,000 miles2 in Mexico. When all the water was removed, that delta became dry. A lush green place turned into a dead 9,000 miles2 desert. That is a huge environmental catastrophe. That was a change in the local climate.
That is in Mexico. Should we care?
From an aspect of being nice to our neighbors, we should care. Following a Biblical adage: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! (Luke 16: MSG). Would we wish someone to make a 9,000 miles2 desert in our country? Then we should not have made one in Mexico. This desert is a dry and desolate place where once were plants, birds, fish, and animals living their daily lives. The unfortunate critters had to migrate to new homes or die.
But There Is More!
More? Yes. The verdant delta provided moisture to areas around it, bringing mist, rain, and snow. The moisture traveled north and kept Laguna Salada, Baja, MX filled with water. The evaporation from Laguna Salada traveled north to help keep the Salton Sea full. Moisture from the Salton Sea moved north and entered the Great Basin, where it circulated until it came to rest in the Great Salt Lake. The water in the Great Salt Lake then created moisture which fed the headwaters of the Bear, Colorado, Jordan, Snake, Rio Grande, and Weber rivers. Finally, the Colorado River carried the water back to the delta where it could start again, but we drained it all out. Since the mid 1900s the delta has been a desert. It gave no moisture to Laguna Salada. Since 1999 Laguna Salada has been dry and gives no moisture to the north. The mega-drought began in 2000. As a result of the mega-drought there is less water in Salton Sea, less water in the Great Basin, less water in the Great Salt Lake, and now less water in the Colorado River. This hydrologic cycle has been broken, and until it can be repaired, the SW-USA will experience greater and greater water shortages. This is exactly what we have seen since 2000.
We Broke It?
Yes. We broke a major water cycle by draining the river dry. So, let’s fix it by no longer taking the water out of the river. Wait! There are a couple of billion people who will have a problem with that plan. We need another plan which will let the people get their water.
Let’s Conserve. That Will Do It.
Conservation is a great strategy to get through a short-term problem. So, yes, conserve. But we need more than a short-term fix. We need a real durable solution which will restore the broken hydrologic cycle.
Can we fix a water-cycle?
In this case there is something which can be done which will repair this problem and may even improve the hydrology of the entire SW-USA. That is almost too good to be true.
How To Fix A Hydrologic-Cycle.
The base plan is to rehydrate the Great Basin. Water must be moved into the Great Basin to change it from an arid, water deficit, environment into a place with a water surplus. There are multiple routes which can be used to bring water into the Great Basin. What must be avoided is bringing in freshwater. We have already learned that removing freshwater from its watershed will cause unintended consequences. We do not want to create another environmental disaster to fix an environmental disaster.
Ocean Water.
The only water which can be moved without detriment to its originating environment is ocean water. The ocean has plenty to spare and cares little if we take some out of it. Once moved into a hot dry climate the ocean water will evaporate and be converted into fresh clean water, returning to earth as mist, rain or snow.
What Route Is Best To Move the Water?
The route we propose begins at the Gulf of California (the Sea of Cortez), passes through Laguna Salada, Baja, MX, moves across the MX/US border into the Salton Sea, from which it is pumped over a mountain into Death Valley. This route has multiple benefits for the regions along its path.
Colorado River Delta, Baja, MX.
The existing Coyote Canal, which passes through the Colorado River delta, is to be dredged deeper and widened so that its flow is reversed and will allow gravity to move ocean water into Laguna Salada. Along its path it will bring some desperately needed hydration to the Colorado River delta.
Laguna Salada, Baja, MX.
Laguna Salada was once the fishing grounds for some of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Cutting off the Colorado River flow allowed this fishing grounds to become dry and useless. Restoring Laguna Salada will be giving climate justice to these people.
Salton Sea, CA, USA.
Extending the Coyote Canal from Laguna Salada to the Salton Sea will allow gravity flow of ocean water into the Salton Sea. This water has a much lower salt content than is currently within the Salton Sea. By increasing the surface level of the Salton Sea, the existing toxic dust problem will be permanently abated. This will save California millions of dollars which it is now spending on abating the same dust. Refilling the Salton Sea will also invigorate the local economy which has a rich history as a desired vacation spot. This invigorated economy will help to refill the nearly empty coffers of California as the tax revenues roll in. The increased surface area of the Salton Sea will launch more moisture into the air which will be beneficial for the local farmers and indigenous peoples.
Pumps And Pipes.
Active Climate rescue Initiative usually eschews pumps and pipes because they require energy to operate and must be maintained over the decades they will be used. It has always been the intent to install systems with gravity flow which will continue to operate even after man has stopped caring about them. Unfortunately, this installation mandates pumps and pipes, however, it is unlikely that man will lose interest in this system because it will be what feeds the Colorado River and supplies water to billions of people. The cost of construction, operation, and maintenance can be funded by a fee on water drawn from the Colorado River.
Bureau of Reclamation.
The Bureau of Reclamation is the best entity to manage this installation and operation because it is the reclamation of a water system, which is exactly their mission. The construction, operation and maintenance funds can be gathered as a user fee, based on volume of water drawn from the Colorado River. Those who have been draining the Colorado River dry have been doing so at no cost (other than transport costs) for decades, and they have ruined a local environment in the process. The fee is not punitive but is only payment for services rendered.
Without These Pipes And Pumps.
Without these pipes and pumps operating, the mega-drought will become the new normal and the Colorado River flow will continue to diminish until it reaches an unacceptable new normal. The Colorado River will not be the only river effected. The Bear, Jordan, Snake, Rio Grande, and Weber rivers will, if they have not already, experience decreased flow rates. The entire SW-USA and NW-MX will become sahara-like.
Death Valley, CA, USA.
A modulated amount of ocean water must be placed into Death Valley. This is not intended to flood Death Valley. The amount of water within Death Valley is not the determination of how much water is needed. The gauge for the intake will be the Great Salt Lake. If the Great Salt Lake level becomes too high, the flow into Death Valley will be reduced. Death Valley will have a standing pool of hyper saline water, but that is normal to nature. Death Valley is a dry terminal pool which is hyper saline, but it has just been a long while since it had any substantive standing water. Regardless of where water is added to the Great Basin, the lowest place within the Great Basin will gain a pool of water. That lowest place is Death Valley. Death Valley will gain water from the pumping operation, but as the water evaporates and returns as rain, Death Valley will also receive returning surface water. The resulting hyper saline terminal lake may not be aromatically friendly, but being as remote as it is that should not be grossly offensive to many people.
The Great Basin, NV, UT OR, WY, ID, USA.
The Great Basin is a large bowl (200,000 miles2 , 520,000 km2) where all surface water flows in, and none flows out. The environment within the Great Basin is considered arid, which means it is a desert. This is a large desert which includes most of Nevada, half of Utah, substantial portions of Oregon and California, and smaller pieces of Idaho and Wyoming. This large desert exists because of a weather phenomenon called Rain Shadow. The Rain Shadow effect allows more water to be blown out than it allows to be blown into the Great Basin. Adding ocean water into anyplace within the Great Basin will benefit the whole Great Basin because it will evaporate, and the airborne moisture will circulate within the Great Basin to moisten the ground, rehydrating the entire desert.
Rehydration of Great Basin.
This is magic at work. This is the power of natural processes shining. Consider the ocean water as the fuel to fire the process of rehydration. The action of depositing ocean water into Death Valley, the hottest place in the USA, will immediately initiate evaporation. Being a bowl, the moisture will circulate within this bowl and be deposited throughout the bowl as mist, rain, and snow. This freshwater will invigorate plants and encourage wildlife. It will fall on the ground and wash the salt from the soil toward the salt lakes. It will enable farming and will fill aquifers. The many indigenous peoples conscripted to live within the Great Bason will experience some climate justice by the availability of fresh water in their wells. Over time this will change 200,000 miles2 of desert into moist soil good for farming.
The Great Salt Lake, UT, USA.
Situated in the northeast corner of the Great Basin is the Great Salt Lake, a highly saline terminal lake. Because of the broken water cycle this lake is in imminent danger of becoming a salt plain instead of a salt lake. As it evaporates it exposes its sediments which are expected to contain lots of toxic materials. Dust from nuclear testing is one of the more scarry of the substances which is expected. Salt Lake City, situated on the banks of the Great Salt Lake, and downwind of the lake is in direct line of fire for these toxins. Allowing the Great Salt Lake to fully evaporate is not acceptable. Pumping ocean water into Death Valley will solve this potential problem with no further expenditure of energy. Natural processes will move water from Death Valley into the Great Salt Lake and keep it full. This is expected to work so well that the pumping will have to be monitored to assure that too much water does not make it into the Great Salt Lake.
Headwaters.
Colorado is a headwater state. Meaning that almost all of its rivers begin in the Rocky Mountains and flow out of the state. The moisture which stocks these headwaters with rain and snow originates from multiple water cycles. During this mega-drought the water cycle which pushed moisture out of the Great Basin into Colorado is broken. All of the rivers in Colorado are experiencing some level of diminished flow. With the water cycle repaired and the Great Basin rehydrated, the full flow will return to all these rivers from Colorado. Fresh clean water will tumble down the mountains to its remote destinations and invigorate life along its way. Those that rely on the Colorado River for life and livelihood will have plenty of water to share.
Conclusion.
With the outlined plan, the original water cycle is repaired, the Great Basin is rehydrated, the Great Salt Lake is saved, and the Colorado headwaters filling their rivers. Human and economic opportunity are returned in places and will be new in other places. The full flow of the Colorado River is assured for decades. This benefits all who live and work in SE-USA and NE-MX. The only negative is a change to Death Valley into Death Lake. The plan can be managed by an existing arm of the US government with an assured income stream sufficient for its construction, operation, and maintenance. Without the plan, billions of people will have some disruption in their lives. We need to: Move the Water!
Spread The Word.
Spread the word that: “Move the Water!” is the initiative which will repair the water cycle, end the mega-drought, save the Great Salt Lake, and refill the Colorado River. This will benefit all the people who live and work in southeast-USA and northwest-MX. By accomplishing this plan, Climate Change will occur, but in the right direction this time.
Help Reverse Climate Change.
Your small donation to Active Climate Rescue Initiative will help reverse Global Warming. Reversing Global Warming and stopping Climate Change is our only goal, and we know how to do it. Your support will allow us to broadcast our message and save the world. Someone must do it. Be that someone. Donate today.
The Colorado River District held the 2023 Annual Water Seminar. The seminar title inferred that they were seeking durable solutions for the Colorado River, yet they never asked the attendees for their durable solution suggestions.
Disappointment
It seems that the goal of the seminar was to present durable solutions focused on conservation which they have developed. The apparent secondary goal was to pat their own backs about their accomplishments and how much money they are spending.
Durable solutions focused on conservation are nice but are not really a solution. Conservation is just a method of enduring the problem, but does not fix the problem, so is not a solution. None of the discussion touched on fixing the root cause of the problem. So, in this page we will look at the root cause and how it can be resolved.
Root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the underlying causes of faults or problems. The goal is to prevent the reoccurrence of problems by addressing these underlying issues rather than just treating the symptoms.
Root Cause Analysis.
Before a solution to a problem can be enjoined, one must understand the cause of the problem. The flow of the Colorado River was predictable for decades, but now the river seems to be diminishing. It is not producing the same amount of water as it used to.
Dry tidal estuary of the Colorado River delta in Baja California, Mexico, on Thursday, 23 June 2022.
Why?
Human interference in the river is the root cause of this problem. The entire flow of the river is being diverted for human use. Much of the water is being transported out of the watershed, and every drop of the river’s water is being used which leaves the Colorado River dry at its delta. The Colorado River Delta was once a verdant 3,000 square mile oasis in the Sonoran Desert. This delta is now a 3,000 square mile desert wasteland. Gone is the lush green space and also most of the life associated with it. All that is left is sand and the limited, hardy life suited for dry conditions. This is manmade Climate Change on a micro level which has the domino effect of exacerbating Climate Change in the southwest USA.
What Changed?
As expected, creating a 3,000 square mile desert is going to affect the local weather. But unexpectedly it also broke a major hydrologic cycle which supplied water to the Colorado River. Over simplified, this water cycle begins in the Colorado River Delta where the Colorado River kept Laguna Salada, Baja, MX supplied with water. Water evaporated from Laguna Salada and moved north to the Salton Sea, where it again evaporated and moved north to Death Valley. Once in Death Valley it circulated around the Great Basin, eventually settling in the Great Salt Lake. Evaporation from the Great Salt Lake seeds the snow and rain for the Colorado, Green and Snake Rivers. The snow sent to the Colorado River watershed then supplied the river with its water which ultimately refilled Laguna Salada.
A Side Note.
The headwaters of the Colorado River are fed by multiple hydrologic cycles. All of them are needed to continue the historic river flow. With one of them broken, changes in the river’s flow are evident.
Solution #1.
Stop taking water out of the Colorado River. That is obvious. If overdrawing water from Colorado River caused the broken water cycle, just stop doing it. Well, if that occurs about a half billion people will be upset. Their lives and livelihood are contingent on that water being available just as it has been for the last 100 years. Yes, the water can be replaced with desalination plants, but the number of them needed is staggering, and the energy draw is huge. This seems unworkable as a solution.
Solution #2.
Conservation! Yes, conservation is a good idea, but it is an interim fix, not a real solution. Conservation will make limited resources stretch further, but when the limited resource is diminishing, conservation is nearly futile. In this situation we have more and more people requiring water to live and work. The population of the region is growing from births, longer life, immigration, and relocation. It may seem obvious to move out of a water starved place, but people do not leave their homes easily, and new people just keep coming. So, the demand will increase while the supply is decreasing. Conservation can only accomplish limited relief and delay the inevitable.
Solution #3. The Real Solution.
Repair the Water Cycle. But how can man repair the water cycle without discontinuing what broke it in the first place?
Every hydrologic cycle is an engine which needs fuel to operate. The fuel for a water cycle is water, wind, and heat. The type of water is immaterial, so ocean water will work just as well as fresh water. Ocean water is in plentiful supply, but not in the right place to be of value, but we can move the water to a different place and make it work.
Laguna Salada, Baja California, Mexico, 2019
Move the Water! Step #1.
The optimum first phase is to refill Laguna Salada. Laguna Salada was once automatically refilled by the Colorado River, but since the water diversion began in the 1930s the water in Laguna Salada has been diminishing. The death of Laguna Salada was assured when California began diverting water meant for the Salton Sea, sending it west to their coastal cities. In 1999 Laguna Salada became officially dry and has had only limited water since. I think it is not a coincidence that the mega drought began in 2000. Because the water cannot be replaced from the Colorado River, a new source for water to fill Laguna Salada is needed. That source is the ocean, which is only 60 miles away, and a canal already exists. The flow direction of the Coyote Canal must be reversed so that ocean water will fill Laguna Salada. Once it has water it can begin to restart the broken water cycle.
Move the Water! Step #2.
The logical second phase is to refill the Salton Sea by extending the Coyote Canal from Laguna Salada to the Salton Sea.
The water in the Salton Sea is diminishing. This is not a new situation and is being encouraged by two things.
First, some of the water needed to fill the Salton Sea comes from rain and snow which is developed from evaporation from the south, from the Colorado River delta (virtually dry since 1940) and from Laguna Salada (virtually dry since 1999). Since both of these places are virtually dry, this moisture no longer migrates toward the Salton Sea.
Second, some water needed to fill the Salton Sea comes from farm runoff, but that has been diminishing since the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement. The settlement calls for the farmers to receive 20,000 acre-feet less each year. In 2013, about 100,000 acre-feet of water was diverted; in 2018, about 130,000 acre-feet of water was diverted; and by 2026, it will be 200,000 acre-feet of water being diverted per year. By diverting this runoff water from the Salton Sea, the Salton Sea will diminish.
California seems intent on drying up the Salton Sea. Over the last few decades, proposals have been presented to California, and pressure has been exerted on California to open a sea-water intake and increase the Salton Sea surface level back to the 1950s norm. All the proposals have been rebuffed. Instead, California has implemented dust mitigation projects which have the secondary effect of evaporating the water more quickly. All hope appears lost for those in the Imperial Valley whose lives are impacted by the diminishing Salton Sea.
California has allowed many lakes to go dry over the years, each one is an ecological disaster. To avoid another dry California lake, the Salton Sea can be saved by sea water importation via an extension of the Coyote Canal from Laguna Salada. This water path does not currently exist but is possible with about 30 miles of construction. There is one 150-foot hill in the way, but such things are easily surpassed. After that hill, it is all downhill to the Salton Sea. This type of construction is commonplace as is obvious while traveling America’s highways where rock-cuts abound.
Once the Coyote Canal is extended the level of the Salton Sea can be returned to its 1950s level. This increased surface level will encourage much more evaporation which will have multiple benefits. Some can be called Climate Justice because increased rain will be available for local indigenous peoples. By refilling the Salton Sea to its historic level, the local environment will be improved, but the saline level of the Salton Sea will not be greatly affected. Step #3 will reduce the salinity levels and make the Salton Sea a vibrant lake again.
The above steps #1 and #2 are inexpensive to implement and cost effective to operate. Once installed the water flow is all powered by gravity at no cost to anyone. Step #3 is not the same.
Pumping water great distances is not a new thing. It is done and has been done for many years. The difference is that this time it will help heal the environment.
Move the Water! Step #3.
Step #3 is the construction of pipes with pumps to transport Salton Sea water into Death Valley. This is an expensive project, but the costs can be funded by fees on water diverted from the Colorado River. Those who have been diverting water from the Colorado River have been doing so at no charge for decades. They have been misappropriating the natural resource and have caused damage to the climate as a result. Now is the time to begin charging a fee for Colorado River water. That fee can be used to fund the repair of the hydrologic cycle which they broke.
By pumping water into the Great Basin, the water cycle will be repaired. The Great Basin is an arid desert as a result of the Rain Shadow effect. Adding moisture into the Great Basin will cancel out the effect of the natural rain shadow and encourage the Great Basin to bloom. The additional moisture pumped into the Great Basin will circulate within the Great Basin and eventually make its way to the north and east sides of the Great Basin where some of it will migrate out and stock the snowpacks which create the water for the Colorado, Green, and Snake rivers. With the snowpacks once again full, the flow of the Colorado River will return to its former glory. The hydrologic cycle will have been repaired and the billions of people who rely on that water will be saved and secure for decades to come.
Durable Solution for Colorado River.
So, this is the best durable solution for the Colorado River. It repairs the root cause for the diminishing water supply. It repairs the broken water cycle. It will return fresh clean water to the headwaters of the Colorado River using mostly natural processes. All the costs, construction and operational, will be obtained from the users of the Colorado River Water. The operation can be managed by the Reclamation Bureau. This solution is durable because it will continue to operate as long as water is placed into the Great Basin.
Secondary Benefits Of This Durable Soultion.
There is a high number of secondary benefits to this durable solution.
The Cucapás are a group of Native Americans from Baja, California. The name translates to “cloud people,” which originated from the fog on the Colorado River. Cucapás were big on agriculture and also relied on fishing, hunting and gathering food.
Laguna Salada
Laguna Salada is the homeland for some Mexican indigenous people. The loss of the inland sea caused a loss of one of their livelihoods: Fishing. Refilling Laguna Salada with ocean water will return a food source to them. The refilled inland sea will also cool the local climate and return fresh clean rainwater to them. The increased rain will allow for increased farming in their local area.
During the 1950s and ‘60s, real-estate developers were touting the Salton Sea as a ‘miracle in the desert’, comparing it to the French Rivera. Multimillion-dollar yacht clubs, summerhouses, hotels and restaurants sprung up along the lake, transforming the area into a thriving waterside resort that welcomed 1.5 million tourists each year.
Salton Sea
Increasing the level of the Salton Sea back to its 1950s level will have some great benefits. Like Laguna Salada, the refilled inland sea will cool the local climate and return fresh clean rainwater to them. The increased rain will allow for farming with less irrigation, and also better availability to drinking water for the inhabitants of Imperial Valley. A boon for Imperial valley is expected return of tourist trade related to water sports on the Salton Sea. Investment in the Salton Sea location was heavy in the 1950s and that could be expected to return in full force once the Salton Sea level is stabilized and the salinity is reduced. The water pumped out of the Salton Sea will reduce the salinity and move the salt and other pollutants into the Great Basin.
The Great Basin
There will be huge gains for the Great Basin. The added moisture will change the desert into fertile land over time. This will not be instant, but rather a process of flushing the gathered salt from the land and the infusion of plant matter into the soil as the new moisture encourages new plant growth. Some human efforts will be required to slow the flow of water to encourage water infiltration of the soil. The indigenous people living in the Great Basin who now have water trucked into the reservations will be able to collect rainwater and later draw water from the ground as the aquafers refill. The Gret Basin could become a new breadbasket for the USA as the increased moisture encourages farming.
Sothern Idaho.
Where southern Idaho is now very arid, the increased moisture in the Great Basin will easily migrate up to Idaho. The snake River Aquifer will be refilled because there will be less demand for drawing its water as a result of the increased rainfall. The farming opportunity in southern Idaho will be greatly improved.
The Rio Grande River begins in Colorado, like the Colorado River. Both begin in the same mountains.
Rio Grande River.
Yes, even the Rio Grande River will have increased flow because of the increase of water in the Great Basin.
Move the Water!
This durable solution, this ditch digging project, this engineering project, will have multiple benefits for billions of people.
Spread The Word.
Spread the word that the Salton Sea must be saved and refilled to its historic level. This will benefit the people of Coachella Valley as well as all the people in Southern California who live and work downwind of the Salton Sea. By refilling the Salton Sea many benefits will be delivered, including a positive attack on Climate Change.
Help Reverse Climate Change.
Your small donation to Active Climate Rescue Initiative will help reverse Global Warming. Reversing Global Warming and stopping Climate Change is our only goal, and we know how to do it. Your support will allow us to broadcast our message and save the world. Someone must do it. Be that someone. Donate today.
The Great Salt Lake has shrunk. In 1985 the lake filled to its capacity. In 2022 the lake is at its lowest point on record. Some fear the Great Salt Lake will soon disappear completely.
Does The Great Salt Lake Really Need Saving?
Since 1947, the Great Salt Lake has had a well-documented fluctuating surface level above sea-level between 4,190’ in 1963 and 4,211’ in 1986[5][6]. Without human intervention the lake would likely fluctuate within this range for many years to come and eventually turn into a salt flat, but that eventuality would be well beyond the lifetime of anyone alive today.
Great Salt Lake Hits A New Low.
The average daily level of the Great Salt Lake hit a new record low in November 2022, when it dropped to 4188.5 feet[7]. The lake’s elevation fluctuates depending on the balance between inflow and outflow of water generated by moisture within The Great Basin watershed. The Great Salt Lake’s drop has accelerated since 2020, with an average deficit of 1.2 million acre-feet per year. If this loss rate continues, the lake as we know it, is on track to disappear in five years. The lake needs an additional million acre-feet per year to reverse its decline[8]. For reference, the bottom of the Great Salt Lake is at 4,160 feet.
Left to right: Govenor Spencer Cox; Senator Mitt Romney; Brian Steed Great Salt Lake Commissioner
Utah Is In A State Of Panic.
Utah is scrambling for a solution to this situation. Gov. Cox proposed $45 million to protect the Great Salt Lake[10]. The US Senate passed the Great Salt Lake Recovery Act, dedicating $25 million to study historic drought conditions and protect the long-term health of the Great Salt Lake[11]. A Great Salt Lake Advisory Council was created in 2010 to advise on the protection of the Great Salt Lake[12]. Utah lawmakers passed a bill requiring appointment of a Great Salt Lake Commissioner who would prepare a strategic plan to maintain and improve the long-term health of the Lake[14]. Gov. Spencer Cox named Brian Steed as the state’s Great Salt Lake Commissioner[13]. A group of news, education and media organizations collaborated to create The Great Salt Lake Collaborative: A Solutions Journalism Initiative which is intended to better inform and engage the public about the crisis facing the Great Salt Lake, and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late[15].
Move The Water! To The Rescue.
Active Climate Rescue Initiative proposes one infrastructure project which will solve the issue of the shrinking Great Salt Lake, but surprise, it does not take any direct action toward the Great Salt Lake. We posit that the problem of the evaporating Great Salt Lake is an unintended consequence of overdrawing water from the Colorado River. Active Climate Rescue Initiative believes that the primary cause of this diminished Colorado River flow is a direct result of the excessive extraction of water from the Colorado River, with much of that draw being exported outside of the watershed. We also have identified this single solution, which when implemented will restore historic flow to the Colorado River and subsequently bring a host of other benefits, one of which will be the refilling of the Great Salt Lake.
Colorado Utah near Moab UT
Colorado River
Water has been siphoned off the Colorado River for human use for many years. As an example: California began extracting 1/3 of the river’s flow in 1939 and continues today. Under a 1948 agreement, Utah is entitled to 23% of the water used by the four states in the upper Colorado River Basin. This is around 1-million acre-feet of water from the Colorado annually[4]. Two-thirds of the Colorado River water in Utah is used for agriculture, mostly to irrigate alfalfa fields[1][3].
Everyone Feels The Pain
The issue with the Colorado River’s diminishing flow is shared among all users of the river water. Granted, some users of the river’s water are more concerned than Utah because the loss of that water means loss of drinking water and loss of electrical power for millions of people. Both problems seem much more important than alfalfa fields in Utah, but the problem still exists.
Working Within A Watershed.
Water drawn from a river and used within the watershed will eventually return in a smaller quantity to the river. A farmer irrigating his fields adjacent to a river can use river water and after that water is deposited on his fields, some is used by the plants, and some is evaporated, but what is left flows through the ground back to the river. Water drawn from a river and removed from the watershed will detrimentally affect the river flow. This is the case with the extraction from the Colorado River. So much is removed and not returned that the river does an unnatural thing, it diminishes to nothing.
Rivers 101.
A normal river begins with rain and snow which accumulates into a creek, gathers into a stream, and eventually a flowing river, possibly joined by other rivers, until it empties into a large body of water, like a lake or ocean. This was the case for the Colorado River, back into time before recorded history.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about [the] Cadillac Desert in the past few weeks, as the rain fell and fell and kept falling over California, much of which, despite the pouring heavens, seems likely to remain in the grip of a severe drought. Reisner anticipated this moment. He worried that the West’s success with irrigation could be a mirage — that it took water for granted and didn’t appreciate the precariousness of our capacity to control it.” – Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times, January 20,2023
Manmade Ecological Disaster.
During the 1930’s the Colorado River water began to no longer reach its delta. The delta began to dwindle halfway through the 20th century as the Colorado River was increasingly diverted to farms and cities[9]. The construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s marked the beginning of the end for the Colorado River Delta. For six years, as Lake Mead filled behind the dam, virtually no freshwater reached the delta[9]. The Colorado River Delta is now a desert.
Who Cares If The Delta Is Now Dry?
At first thought, why is it important that the delta is dry? Consider that the Colorado River Delta was a verdant oasis in a parched Mexico, covering approximately 3,000 square miles. Today that delta is dead. The 3,000 square miles are a desert. No more fishing or bird habitat. No more farming, blooming flowers, or tall trees. This is an ecological disaster caused by the excessive water extraction from the Colorado River.
How Does This Affect Utah?
At second thought, why should Utah care about a desert in Mexico? This question is answered by the fact that they are concerned about the Great Salt Lake becoming dry. Which may make you wonder how that is an answer to the question.
Let’s Explain.
The Colorado River water comes from snow and rain, but where does the snow and rain come from? The rain and snow come from more than one hydrologic cycle. The root of the problem with the diminished Colorado River flow is that one of these hydrologic cycles is broken. This one hydrologic cycle feeds the Colorado River Watershed from the south (oversimplified: Colorado River Delta, MX > Laguna Salada, MX > Salton Sea, CA > Death Valley, NV > Great Salt Lake, UT > Colorado River > Laguna Salada, MX). Some wish to blame this broken water cycle on Climate Change, but it appears much more logical that this is a manmade broken water cycle which is contributing to Climate Change, not caused by it.
The Colorado River Aqueduct, a 242-mile-long channel completed in 1941 by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, carries water from the Colorado River out of its watershed to urban Southern California.
Here Is What Happened.
During the 1930s, California created the Colorado River Aqueduct which began operation in 1939, removing 1,200,000 acre-ft (1.5 cubic km3) annually from the watershed. Other people/cities/states also draw Colorado River water. Those which are within the watershed have less effect on the water cycle than those which are outside of the watershed. The net result is that all the water of the Colorado River is fully used before it passes Mexicali, MX. It no longer refills Laguna Salada, and it has left a desert wasteland where there used to be a fertile river delta. With the water no longer refilling Laguna Salada and no longer moisturizing the delta, there is no water to evaporate and continue the Hydrologic Cycle. This has broken the Hydrologic Cycle, which has created a drought, which has spurred domino droughts, which has led to the current mega-drought.
The Rain Shadow effect exists because as warm moist air rises up the windward side of a mountain, atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude. The air expands and cools to the point that the air has reached its dew point. At the dew point, the moisture condenses, and it precipitates on the top and windward side of the mountain. The air descends on the leeward side but due to the previous precipitation it has lost much of its moisture. Typically, descending air also gets warmer because of compression down the leeward side of the mountain, which increases the amount of moisture that it can absorb and creates an arid region[22].
Great Basin Moisture Deficit.
The mega-drought exacerbates an existing natural issue in the Great Basin. The natural condition of the Great Basin is that of moisture deficit. This is because of the Rain Shadow Effect. The Great Basin has mountains all around it. The Rain Shadow Effect associated with these mountains allows more water to be blown-out than is allowed to be blown-in to the Great Basin, which creates a natural moisture deficit, which creates a natural desert. It has not always been this way. We see evidence of great amounts of water having been within the great basin. I will posit one explanation. Approximately 2,457 BC, at the end of Noah’s Flood, the great basin would have been full to the brim with water. Because of the natural moisture deficit, during the 4,480 subsequent years that water would have evaporated leaving the land dry, and large amounts of salt deposits left behind. Since the Great Basin receives its water from the west and south, and since the southern water-cycle has been broken, less moisture is entering the Great Basin, which is becoming evident with the diminished water level of the Great Salt Lake, and the Great Salt Lake achieving its lowest recorded level in 2022 (so far).
Can We Fix This?
So, what can be done? How can this be fixed? Like your personal family budget, when the income is exceeding the spending there are two things which can be done. The first is reduce spending and the second is increase the income. This is the same with the moisture problem in the SW-USA, and within Utah. To reduce the spending, conservation is the first action which should be encouraged so that there is time to enact the primary solution of increasing the moisture. To increase the income the water-cycle must be repaired. Is this possible without depriving millions of life-giving fresh water? The answer is: YES. There is one elegant solution which will repair the water-cycle. It is a multi-state infrastructure project. The focus for Utah must be repairing the water-cycle. The result will be a refilled Great Salt Lake.
One Infrastructure Project In Three Parts.
Part One.
Reverse the flow of the Coyote Canal so that ocean water from the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) flows into Laguna Salada, MX. This would be gravity flow and it will begin to repair the water cycle. As the water passes through the now dry Colorado River Delta it will have beneficial effects on the delta. The return of water to Laguna Salada will also bring climate justice to the local indigenous people by restoring their fishing grounds.
The $45 million to protect the Great Salt Lake[10] and the $25 million to study historic drought conditions[11] would be better spent implementing this part of the plan in Mexico. Getting even one part of the plan done will lead to improvement for Utah. See the video below to for a tour of a proposed canal.
Video tour of a proposed canal from Sea of California > Laguna Salada, Baja, Mx > Salton Sea, CA, USA.
Part Two.
Extend the Coyote Canal so that the Laguna Salada water flows into the Salton Sea. Care must be taken to assure that the Salton Sea maintains its historical optimal level from the 1950s. This would be by gravity flow, and it will continue to repair the water cycle. The increased water level of the Salton Sea would return commerce to the area, bring recreation to the sea, increase the local moisture with benefit to local indigenous people groups and native Californians in Imperial Valley and up into the Central Valley. The flow through from Laguna Salada, MX to the Salton Sea would assure Laguna Salada, MX does not become hypersaline.
Is This Enough?
No. The above two parts should be enough to break the mega-drought, but more is needed if the full flow of the Colorado River is to be realized. The hard part is next.
Part Three.
The hard part is pumping Salton Sea water into the Great Basin; logically into Death Valley. The flowthrough from the Salton Sea to the Great Basin would assure the Salton Sea does not become hypersaline, and in time reduce the saline level to that of the ocean. The exact amount of water needed has not been calculated. This proposal suggests five 8-foot diameter pipes carrying the ocean water over the mountains and into the Great Basin at a rate of 0.5 acre-feet per second. These 5-pipes with the 0.5 acre-feet per second flow mimics the Colorado River flow at its delta in ages past. The project can be installed in pieces. The first stage would be two 8-foot diameter pipes. The minimum proposed flow is 1/5th of the freshwater annually extracted from the Colorado River, the flow of one of the pipes. The maximum proposed flow is equal to the amount of freshwater annually extracted from the Colorado River, 15 million acre-feet of Salton Sea water annually pumping from all 5-pipes. Depending on the ecological results, the full flow of all five 8-foot diameter pipes may not be needed. The water delivered into the Great Basin would end its water deficit and set it up for rehydration, which would be a boon on many levels.
That Is Expensive!
It may well be expensive, but what is the cost of doing nothing? The good news is that the cost of pumping the water over the mountain could come from a fee on water drawn from the Colorado River. Those who have drawn Colorado River water over the last century have done so without any charge for what they received, forgetting that nothing is free. The fee can be collected and administered by the Reclamation Bureau, along with operational control of the pipeline. The construction costs could be funded by the Federal Government as a Climate Change infrastructure project with the Corps of Engineers doing the work. Alternatively, the construction costs could be collected as part of the fees by the Reclamation Bureau. The proposed fee/tax would be on each gallon of water drawn from the Colorado River in an amount equal to the cost of pumping one gallon into the Great Basin.
The Benefits.
There are multiple benefits to the ‘Move the Water!’ plan. Seven are enumerated below.
1. Reversing Global Warming
This effort will combat Climate Change by cooling many very hot places. When working to reverse Global Warming, effort placed in the hottest places reaps the greatest direct benefit. All the target areas in this plan are very hot places and all will be cooler with the presence of the newly imported water. Increased water in deserts increases evaporation, which is a natural cooling process. The evaporated water returns as fresh clean water in form of mist/rain/snow, which is a natural cooling process. The fresh clean rainwater hydrates the land benefiting man/animals/plants. The hydration and increases plant growth. The increased plant growth cools the desert floor which will allow fresh rainwater to percolate into the ground and be stored for later use, which also keeps it from returning to the ocean. The plants cool the ground by their shade and release water as a byproduct of their transpiration, both of which are natural cooling processes. The increased plant growth increases the amount of CO2 extracted from the air by the now active plants, storing the carbon in their little plant bodies, and ultimately in the ground. All of these benefits are reaped from natural processes, green processes, leaving a net-positive green footprint.
The North American monsoon is a complex weather process that brings moisture from the Gulf of California over northwestern Mexico and southwestern US resulting in summer thunderstorms, especially at higher elevations[23].
2. Increase the North American Monsoon.
There is a lot of research still needed to fully understand the North American Monsoon, but there is some evidence which points to the desertification of the Colorado River Delta in Mexico as a cause of a temperature inversion which limits the North American Monsoon[16]. Restoring Laguna Salada should break this blockage.
3. Laguna Salada, Baja, MX
Refilling Laguna Salada, MX, in addition to providing local climate change benefits as described above, will provide some climate justice for the local indigenous people who lost their historic native fishing ground because of the over-drawn river.
4. Salton Sea, CA, USA
Refilling the Salton Sea to its historic 1950’s level will return that area to its 1950’s popularity, which will be a financial boon for many which will also grow California’s tax revenue. There will be a moisture benefit for Imperial Valley which will naturally flow up into California’s Central Valley.
5. The Great Basin
Rehydration of The Great Basin will have many benefits. The increased moisture will increase mist/rain/snow. This freshwater will provide climate justice to the indigenous peoples living in remote desert reservations. The increased moisture allows for increased farming. In this case the Great Basin could become a new breadbasket for the USA. As the moisture circulates within The Great Basin multiple freshwater streams, rivers, and lakes will occur. With the increased moisture the Great Salt Lake will naturally have an increased surface level.
Southern Idaho is hand-to-mouth with their water supply. “Every drop of water we can get, every snow flurry is beneficial, but overall, across the state, we’re expecting the drought to continue. It’s great, but it’s not going to pull us out. We really want to see a kind-of long-term pattern develop; a pattern change develop.” hydrologist David Hoekema[24]
6. Rehydration Of Southern Idaho.
There is correlative data which links the level of the Snake River Aquifer to the level of The Great Salt Lake. Looking at the geology of the area it is easy to postulate that a rehydrated Great Basin would lead to a moister Southern Idaho.
Not to be forgotten, all the previous benefits will work to restore the hydrologic cycle, which will push freshwater (rain/snow) into the headwaters of the Colorado and Snake Rivers.
Perceived Problems.
Looking at the grand design this can be viewed as a terraforming project, but there are several suggested problems with a project of this scope. The good news is that all are manageable.
A terminal lake which has no surface outlet (rivers flowing from it) will become a lake with a very high saline level[21].
1. Salt.
The biggest concern is creating a hypersaline sea and/or leaving salt behind after evaporation. Be aware that all the areas where ocean water importation is proposed are areas which are already saline with brackish water aquifers. So, bringing in salt water is not an environmental catastrophe. Rather the resulting rain will work to overlay the salt water with fresh because salt water is heavier than fresh water. Aquifers being filled with rainwater will have fresh water on top of the brackish water. Decades from now the brackish water in aquifers will be of little concern. The salt left behind will be deposited in the terminal pool, which will be Death Valley, which is already a saltpan. It is likely that Death Valley will turn into an inland salt sea, and it will become hypersaline, but that is natural and cannot be avoided, however industrious individuals may find a way to profit from the minerals being delivered, including the salt.
At first it was a novelty as a wall of water an inch high began flowing down the wash a few feet below me. Soon there was several feet of rushing water sweeping away anything in its path and there was no place to go[20].
2. Flash Floods.
Rain in deserts can cause flash floods. This is normal and unpleasant. Expecting this allows for the situation to be worked around. Flash floods come when water is rained onto desert ground which is dry and devoid of plants. Consistent rainfall will allow plants to grow, which will slow the water flow. To alleviate this some geographic modifications can be accomplished to slow the flow of the rainwater, which will encourage better usage of the water along its path. This needs to be accomplished at the local level foresighted individuals and communities.
USA, California, Death Valley Salt Pan photographed by Gary Weathers.
3. Death Valley National Park.
The dry saltpan at the floor of Death Valley National Park will change from a dry lakebed to an inland salt sea. It is expected that this inland sea will become hypersaline. It can remain a National Park, but its features will be slightly changed, and it will likely see heavier use because of the new features. It still will be the lowest place in USA, but likely not the hottest as the increased moisture will cool the area.
Desert ecosystems receive less than 10 in (250 mm) of annual precipitation. Far from desolate, the deserts support high levels of biodiversity including iconic species such as Joshua trees, Mexican free-tailed bats, desert pupfishes, cutthroat trout, pronghorn antelope, desert tortoises, Gila monsters, sage grouse, bighorn sheep, desert iguanas, bristlecone pines, cuckoos, ocotillo, desert poppies, saguaro cactus, kangaroo rats and pigmy rabbits. Desert biodiversity is the result of evolutionary divergence[19].
4. Existing Ecosystems.
Some have complained that the increased moisture would harm the existing ecosystems within the SW-USA, The Great Basin, Death Valley and in all the deserts which are rehydrated. When viewed with a different eye one can consider that the local critters are those who have not died out and would like a bit more rain. Yes, some of the critters who used to live there, but left when the water left, will return. That is only the natural ebb and flow of critters and ecosystems as a whole.
The West Desert Pumping Station is a series of three pumps designed to reduce the water level of the Great Salt Lake in case it should rise to threaten the shoreline industries, Salt Lake City International Airport, railroads, and even I-80 with flooding. The pumping plan is a system to pump water from the lake to the adjacent Newfoundland Basin, located to the west. The south end of Hogup Ridge, a few miles further down the causeway northwest of Lakeside, was selected as the pump site, and six and a half miles of canals were dug to and from the pumps. Completed rapidly in less than a year, at a cost of nearly $60 million in state funds, the pumps went online in April 1987. At the same time, a drought began, causing the lake level to subside naturally. The pumps were mothballed in 1989[18].
5. Overfilling The Great Salt Lake.
Yes, there can be too much of a good thing. It is possible that the hydrology of The Great Basin will be improved to the point that the Great Salt Lake could exceed its historical maximum, which could flood the communities built along its shore. Fortunately, there is a plan already installed, but mothballed in 1989: The Great Salt Lake Pumping Station[17][18]. But even this may not be enough, and a plan for a canal should be made to direct excess water far enough from the Great Salt Lake so that it flows by gravity back toward Death Valey.
Conclusion.
The overdrawing of freshwater from Colorado River has been and is detrimental to the environment, creating a desert where once was a fertile river delta, and breaking a hydrologic cycle. This has and is making itself known by the shrinking size of the Great Salt Lake. To make that wrong right the drawing of water from the Colorado River water should stop. We all know that is not even thinkable. The people using the Colorado River water will not give up their water without a huge fight. Move the Water! provides a workaround which allows no change in the use of the Colorado River water yet repairs our ecosystem and makes the landscape greener in the process. This proposed infrastructure project should be undertaken with all haste to repair our environment and return water indirectly and by natural processes to The Great Salt Lake. There is no real downside to doing this project. If an unforeseen consequence occurs, the project can be moderated by reducing the volume of water moved into Death Valley.
Proponent.
Move the Water! is the proposed initiative of Active Climate Rescue Initiative. Active Climate Rescue Initiative is founded to actively rescue our climate by encouraging positive climate change through water relocation into earth’s water deficit areas. Anyplace in the world where there is a dry depression is a place where there is a moisture deficit. These places are the key to reversing climate change. By infusing these places with water from an open flow inlet, moisture can be reintroduced into the local environment through hydrologic processes. Active Climate Rescue Initiative is a Michigan Non-Profit Corporation approved by the USA IRS as a 501.c.3 Public Charity.
Help Reverse Climate Change
Your small donation to Active Climate Rescue Initiative will help reverse Global Warming. Reversing Global Warming and stopping Climate Change is our only goal, and we know how to do it. Your support will allow us to broadcast our message and save the world. Someone must do it. Be part of the someone. Donate today.
Despite Mexico’s commitment to the Paris Accord to combat climate change, it has ignored a crucial solution of refilling the Laguna Salada with water from the Sea of Cortez.
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.
Ecologic disaster in Mexico
In the mid 1900’s, Mexico experienced an ecologic disaster created by the draining of the Colorado River at the USA/MX border. This left over 60 miles of riverbed devoid of moisture. The Colorado River had been depositing a huge volume of water into the delta and Sea of Cortez. The loss of this flowing water destroyed 3,000 sq-mi of wet, verdant, green land and created a 3,000 sq-mi parched, dry, brown desert. This change from green to brown is a local climate change. The humidity level is greatly decreased so the area can no longer contribute to its hydrologic cycle. The 3,000 sq-mi desert is now in a constant state of drought. This was the first domino to fall in the domino-droughts.
Paris Accord
Implementation of the Paris Agreement requires nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Each NDC is meant to align with the Paris Agreement temperature goal, taking into account different national circumstances. In the NDC, countries take action to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of climate change.
What is Laguna Salada, Baja, MX.
Time lapse photography, 1984 to 2023, showing dehydration of Laguna Salada, Baja, MX.
Laguna Salada is a below-sea-level depression just north-northwest of the Colorado River delta has been filled with salt water. Laguna Salada was being kept full by the now drained Colorado River and moisture evaporated from the previously green delta. In 1999, with the Colorado river being dry south of Mexicali, Baja, MX., and the delta a desert; Laguna Salada went completely dry. The domino-droughts began in 2000 and morphed into the current mega-drought.
What Is The Easy Opportunity?
Fill Laguna Salada with ocean water from the Sea of Cortez. Reversing the Coyote Canal and refilling Laguna Salada will meet the Paris Accord NDC goal.
Why Is This Easy?
Visualize the Coyote Canal as a nice wide water path from the Sea of Cortez into Laguna Salada.
The Coyote Canal is an existing water path between Laguna Salada and the Sea of Cortez. This dry creek bed was straightened and shortened in recent years. The work that needs to be accomplished today is to make that canal deeper and wider 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 rainwater 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…
Wherever 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…
This will add moisture to the Colorado River delta because of the flow from the ocean through the delta to Laguna Salada. this moisture will aid in rehydrating the Colorado River delta.
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.
Help Reverse Climate Change
Your small donation to Active Climate Rescue Initiative will help reverse Global Warming. Reversing Global Warming and stopping Climate Change is our only goal, and we know how to do it. Your support will allow us to broadcast our message and save the world. Someone must do it. Be part of the someone. Donate today.
