Section IV

The first sections of this module have

illustrated the competition for water
between farmers and urbanites. Now we
will look closer at whom else we share the
water with. 1.5 Million Acre Feet per Year
are delivered to Mexico. However, the
quality of the water is drastically different
than what is used further up river. As the
water flows over and through rocks, salts
and minerals are eroded and added to the
water. The concentrations of these then
build up the further down river you go. Since
lakes lose more water to evaporation than
rivers do, the salinity of the water continues
to increase after every dam. Salty water
means salty soils for farmers and a common
method for overcoming the salt is to add
more water to try and dilute the salts in the
soil. However, if the additional water
evaporates out, it leaves more salt behind;
there by adding to the problem it was meant
to diminish. Saline soils means a decline in
crop production.

The figure on the left shows the California-

Image available at: Mexico border. The image is shown using
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/0/792/ast near infrared bands of the electromagnetic
er_mexicali_lrg.jpg spectrum to highlight the green vegetation
(crops), which show up as bright red in the
image. Notice the drastic change that occurs at the Mexican border. At any given point in time, only
about half of the arable land in the Mexicali Valley is cultivated due to a lack of sufficient water. Due to
the salinity of the water, crops are currently experiencing a 10-15% decline in production.

The figure below is an image using different color bands and shows the lower half of the Mexicali Valley.
The Colorado River is the dark blue patch at the top central part of the picture. Urban sprawl and
irrigation siphon off most of the river before it reaches Mexico. In fact, only about 10% of all the river
water makes it to the Mexican border, and that is then used before it reaches the delta where it would
historically flow into the Gulf of California. The purplish flow from the gulf is where the ocean water is
actually flowing up the river channel. The grey
areas to either side of the delta are the
historic sediment deposits from when the
river carried sediments in its raging current to
be deposited here at the mouth of the river.
Now most of the sediments are trapped by
large dams and the river sinks into the sand
before it reaches the coast.

This upset in the natural flow of the water and

the disruption of the balance of sediment
erosion and deposition has changed the
ecology of the river delta. Not only has it left
coastal villages dry, but it has caused several
species to struggle for existence as well.
Birds, marine life, and creatures adapted to
the salt water marshes of the delta are all left
struggling as the environment changes from
the one they adapted to into something
different. When we divide up a resource
among different states and communities, we
need to remember that it is not just humans
Image available at:
who use these resources. Can we afford to live
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=1288
at the expense of other living creatures?

Assignment
Should Lake Mead fall to 1,075 ft above sea level, the federal government would cut the water to seven
states that depend on the Colorado River, according to an agreement they all signed in 2007. If that
happens, the states would likely renegotiate the 1922 pact that establishes how the water is to be
allocated. The current lake level is 1099 feet.

Your final assignment is to discuss what that renegotiated compact should include. How much will we
have to share? Who will we share it with? For what purpose should the water be used? Will it be
sustainable in the face of growing populations and uncertain climate? How can we make our water use
sustainable? Are there any conditions that need to be met before different user groups can use the
water? The original pact for the river was made in 1922. What changes have occurred that would
support changes in the pact today? Remember that the river is a system where all the water is allocated
and there is less water available as a whole. Giving more water to any one area or user group means less
water available for everyone else.
References:
 CEDD grant announcement http://www.ncseonline.org/Updates/cms.cfm?id=3019
 Colorado River Commission of Nevada http://crc.nv.gov/index.asp?m=maps
 Colorado River District http://www.crwcd.org/page_315
 Colorado River System Consumptive Uses and Losses Report: (Provisional) 2006-2010 (Upper
Basin) http://www.usbr.gov/uc/library/envdocs/reports/crs/crsul.html
 Colorado River Water Users Association.
http://www.crwua.org/coloradoriver/riveruses/index.cfm?action=agriculture#ca
 Gelt, Joe. 1997. “Sharing Colorado River Water: History, Public Policy and the Colorado River
Comapct” Uof A Water Resources Research Center.
http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/arroyo/101comm.html
 http://drought.unl.edu/dm
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/LakeMead/ - lower lake mead levels image
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/0/792/aster_mexicali_lrg.jpg - mexicali
border in infrared
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/37000/37228/vegas_tm5_2009_lrg.jpg
- las vegas growth
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=1288 – river delta
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=1501 – lower basin image
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2591 – salton sea
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3315 – Page, AZ
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=3556 – infra red bands of Lake Mead
 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=8132 - Lake Powell image
 Navajo Generating Station Site - http://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/navajo.aspx
 http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/coalvswind/brief_coal.html
 Imperial Irrigation District http://www.iid.com/Media/All-American-Canal-Map.jpg
 Lippert, John. 2009. “Las Vegas Running Out of Water Means Dimming Los Angeles Lights.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a_b86mnWn9.w&refer=home
 McDade, Sharon. 1995. “Case Study Pedagogy to Advance Critical Thinking.” Teaching of
psychology [0098-6283] vol:22 iss:1
 Miller, Paul W. and Thomas C. Piechota. 2008. “Regional Analysis of Trend and Step Changes
Observed in Hydroclimatic Variables around the Colorado River Basin.” Journal of
Hydrometeorology. Vol 9 pp. 1020-1034.
 National Resource Conservation Service Colorado Historical Snow Data and Graphs
http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/snow/watershed/historical/monthly/maps_graphs/index.ht
ml
 Southern Nevada Water Authority. Water Resources. Apportionment of Colorado River
http://www.snwa.com/html/wr_colrvr_apportion.html
 The Essential Principles of Climate Science http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/Literacy/
 Western Resource Advocates -
http://www.westernresourceadvocates.org/energy/coal/states.php