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I don’t understand Colorado water economics. Apparently 80% is used for agriculture including… alfalfa exports for cattle feed. That alone consumes 5m acre feet which would cover the cutbacks. Surely there’s better places to grow cattle feed?
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The Colorado River’s reservoirs have just hit record lows. “We have urgent needs to act now,” says Tanya Trujillo, with the Interior Department. “We need to be taking action in all states, in all sectors, and in all available ways.” latimes.com/environment/st
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I don’t see a winnable development though. Nobody cares enough. Since in general industry and consumers will bid 10-80x ag for water, eventually sheer greed should shrink the ag use in favor of industrial and urban economies. That plus depopulation.
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There really is no good reason besides nice weather for this region to be so populated at all. And as the weather and wildfires worsen, and urban blight and CA taxes get worse, people will continue to leave I guess.
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I guess on a global climate/environment scale, the Colorado river basin problem is actually relatively small and will mostly solve itself through market forces after another decade of acute unpleasantness. CA is a pretty lousy long-term bet.
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