3 ms·

20+ year drought, all reservoirs at record low levels does not indicate "plenty of water" Sure the mismanaged water is a problem but I am not sure baring the u

20+ year drought, all reservoirs at record low levels does not indicate "plenty of water" Sure the mismanaged water is a problem but I am not sure baring the use for "agrarian business interests" aka Food production, is the solution either. What is your solution or idea of proper management? Only Potable uses?

asdff 4y ago
Switching from flood based irrigation to spot watering. Selecting different crops than cotton for mattresses and pistachios or alfalfa and hay used for export. Farmers in the West use a lot of water because they can due to their water rights agreement, then they say "given this water allocation, what crop will maximize my return on my dollar" and they end up doing stuff like growing pistachios as a result because that's where the incentives have pushed them. Adjust the incentives and the crop choices and practices in the west will change. We don't need the cotton fit for mattresses or $10 bags of pistacios to feed us. The midwest alone produces plenty enough biomass for this country. Much of it there as well is exported elsewhere for individualized profit.
- Spooky23 4y ago
  It puts the whole country at risk. Because the desert has almost a perpetual growing season, everywhere else is out of business or at least sustainable business.
  - asdff 4y ago
    Growing perpetually in a greenhouse setting is probably vastly more efficient than out in the desert where you are subject to constant losses to evaporation
- UncleEntity 4y ago
  > "given this water allocation, what crop will maximize my return on my dollar" It has traditionally been "given this water allocation, if I don’t use it I will lose it so what thirsty crop can I grow to keep it" so they grow alfalfa and cotton in the desert. Though, apparently, this has been changed recently to conserve water for the golf courses in the desert.
jandrese 4y ago
We probably have to rethink growing the thirstiest crops in a semi-arid environment.
- stevenjgarner 4y ago
  It is indeed asinine IMO that we irrigate the southwest to grow alfalfa, almonds etc when those crops grow perfectly in the grade A farmland of Iowa, while Iowa is subsidized to grow mainly number 2 yellow corn for animal fodder. "Corn Subsidies in Iowa totaled $19.7 billion from 1995-2020" [0]. What is wrong with this picture? [0] https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn
  - UncleEntity 4y ago
    > What is wrong with this picture? The federal primary election system…
    - stevenjgarner 4y ago
      That would be too funny if it wasn't so true.
  - phpisthebest 4y ago
    >What is wrong with this picture? America's desire for cheap beef. It is what is for dinner after all. Corn subsidies are specifically used to keep feed prices down, and thus beef prices down. Food prices due to inflation are going to play a HUGE role in the midterms, agree or disagree you are not going to get any elected official to vote to increase the price of the hamburger.
    - stevenjgarner 4y ago
      Iowa finishing pigs were the largest class of livestock consuming corn, approximately 340 million bushels, which is about 16.6% of the Iowa corn crop, or 55% of all the corn fed to livestock in Iowa [0]. Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the U.S. raising nearly one-third of the nation's hogs, and the top state for pork exports [1]. In 2021, exports accounted for 29.4 percent of total U.S. pork and pork variety meat production [2]. [0] https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/download/pdf/ https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/down... [1] https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-association/iowa-pork-facts/ https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-a... [2] https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/ https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/
arrosenberg 4y ago
> Sure the mismanaged water is a problem but I am not sure baring the use for "agrarian business interests" aka Food production, is the solution either. It really is though. They're using over 90% of the water in the state, so where else do you suggest cutting it from? Further, if you look into the state of California's water rights, you will come to understand that the problem is, in fact, a group of reactionary agri-barons who jealously protect their ability to freeload off the State's natural resources.

asdff 4y ago

Switching from flood based irrigation to spot watering. Selecting different crops than cotton for mattresses and pistachios or alfalfa and hay used for export. Farmers in the West use a lot of water because they can due to their water rights agreement, then they say "given this water allocation, what crop will maximize my return on my dollar" and they end up doing stuff like growing pistachios as a result because that's where the incentives have pushed them. Adjust the incentives and the crop choices and practices in the west will change. We don't need the cotton fit for mattresses or $10 bags of pistacios to feed us. The midwest alone produces plenty enough biomass for this country. Much of it there as well is exported elsewhere for individualized profit.

Spooky23 4y ago
It puts the whole country at risk. Because the desert has almost a perpetual growing season, everywhere else is out of business or at least sustainable business.
- asdff 4y ago
  Growing perpetually in a greenhouse setting is probably vastly more efficient than out in the desert where you are subject to constant losses to evaporation
UncleEntity 4y ago
> "given this water allocation, what crop will maximize my return on my dollar" It has traditionally been "given this water allocation, if I don’t use it I will lose it so what thirsty crop can I grow to keep it" so they grow alfalfa and cotton in the desert. Though, apparently, this has been changed recently to conserve water for the golf courses in the desert.

jandrese 4y ago

We probably have to rethink growing the thirstiest crops in a semi-arid environment.

stevenjgarner 4y ago
It is indeed asinine IMO that we irrigate the southwest to grow alfalfa, almonds etc when those crops grow perfectly in the grade A farmland of Iowa, while Iowa is subsidized to grow mainly number 2 yellow corn for animal fodder. "Corn Subsidies in Iowa totaled $19.7 billion from 1995-2020" [0]. What is wrong with this picture? [0] https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn https://farm.ewg.org/progdetail.php?fips=19000&progcode=corn
- UncleEntity 4y ago
  > What is wrong with this picture? The federal primary election system…
  - stevenjgarner 4y ago
    That would be too funny if it wasn't so true.
- phpisthebest 4y ago
  >What is wrong with this picture? America's desire for cheap beef. It is what is for dinner after all. Corn subsidies are specifically used to keep feed prices down, and thus beef prices down. Food prices due to inflation are going to play a HUGE role in the midterms, agree or disagree you are not going to get any elected official to vote to increase the price of the hamburger.
  - stevenjgarner 4y ago
    Iowa finishing pigs were the largest class of livestock consuming corn, approximately 340 million bushels, which is about 16.6% of the Iowa corn crop, or 55% of all the corn fed to livestock in Iowa [0]. Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the U.S. raising nearly one-third of the nation's hogs, and the top state for pork exports [1]. In 2021, exports accounted for 29.4 percent of total U.S. pork and pork variety meat production [2]. [0] https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/download/pdf/ https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/air/article/id/6168/down... [1] https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-association/iowa-pork-facts/ https://www.iowapork.org/news-from-the-iowa-pork-producers-a... [2] https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/ https://www.porkcheckoff.org/markets/us-pork-exports/

arrosenberg 4y ago

> Sure the mismanaged water is a problem but I am not sure baring the use for "agrarian business interests" aka Food production, is the solution either. It really is though. They're using over 90% of the water in the state, so where else do you suggest cutting it from? Further, if you look into the state of California's water rights, you will come to understand that the problem is, in fact, a group of reactionary agri-barons who jealously protect their ability to freeload off the State's natural resources.