"They used our drinking water to grow hog feed."

[Brigid]

Last edited Wed Nov 21, 2012, 02:25 AM - Edit history (1)

--Dust Bowl survivor, warning about what future generations will say.

I'm watching Ken Burns' "The Dust Bowl," and at the end they get to talking about what happened after the Dust Bowl. In the 1950's and '60's, a new generation of farmers started using the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation. Big mistake. It is estimated that it originally averaged about 100 feet deep. Now it's less than 50. It is believed that it will be gone in 20 years. In other words, we didn't learn much.

[Warpy]

1. The land is sinking there, too, as the aquifer is pumped out and everything collapses into it

There is no reason in the world that the land should have been used to grow flint corn for pig food. None. Grasses have always done best there and that means grains, which would take a lot less irrigation than cash crops like cotton and corn.

The whole thing has been infuriating to me for a long time.

However, West Texas is beautiful to fly over, the irrigation patterns looking like a yellow-red-green-orange-brown quilt.

[Luminous Animal]

3. There is no reason t grow any kind of crops there. Growing corn & cotton depressed prices

in areas where growing corn & cotton required no irrigation... driving out small farmers and turning over the land to corporate growers.

[Luminous Animal]

2. Read Cadillac Desert. The entire west will be without water.

[ROBROX]

4. CALIFORNIA WATER WARS

California never depends on rain for its crops. It has always been irrigation and moving water. Today there is not enough water and there may be less water to go around in the future. Some nuts think they can drill for water to solve their problems. Counties have placed meters on farmers wells to make sure the water is paid for that is used. There is no free lunch. The nation will find out how to manage their water to get the job done in the future if they want a future. California always seems to develop the means to resolve national problems. Water wars will be seen in many states in the future. I see the Mississippi not being so wet in the future. This month the old muddy river was very low.