water pipeline from mississippi river to california water pipeline from mississippi river to california

We've had relatively rich resources for so long,we've never really had to deal withthis before, andwe don't want to change.". It is a minimum of 1,067 miles from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River if it could be built in a fairly straight line (St. Louis to Grand Junction, Colorado, based on the route of. But there are tons of things that can be done but arent ever done.. The Western U.S. is experiencing its driest period in more than a thousand years, according to scientists from UCLA and Columbia University. It might be in the trillions, but it probably does exist.. Experts we spoke with agreed the feat would be astronomical. The pipeline will end in the Rocky Mountain National park. In the meantime, researchers encourage more feasible and sustainable options, including better water conservation, water recycling, and less agricultural reliance. Would itbe expensive? More by The Associated Press, Got a story tip? She said extensive public education, aided by federal mandates and financial incentives, eventually led toa wholesale transition that saves millions of gallons of water. Infrastructure is one of the few ways well turn things around to assure that theres some supply.. Gavin Newsom also touted desalination in adrought resilience plan he announcedlast week, though in brackish inland areas. What if our droughts get worse? The conceptsfell into a few large categories: pipe Mississippi or Missouri River water to the eastern sideof the Rockies or to Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border, bring icebergs in bags, on container ships or via trucks to Southern California, pump water from the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest to California via a subterranean pipeline on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, or replenish the headwaters of the Green River, the main stem of the Colorado River, with water from tributaries. We have to conserve water, butnota ridiculous wave parkthat willprobably go bankrupt? Specifically, start with a line from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River at Lake Powell, where a seven-state compact divvies up the water. The only newsroom focused on exploring solutions at the intersection of climate and justice. Why are they so hard to catch? "I don't think that drought, especially in the era of climate change, is something we can engineer our way out of.". For one, theres no longer enough unclaimed water to make most pipeline projects cost-effective. He frames the pipeline as a complement to water-saving policies. Lower Mississippi River flow means less sediment carried down to Louisiana, where its used for coastal restoration. Just pump water a few miles from the Mississippi near Des Moines into the Ogallala aquifer. It's 2011 and the technology exists to build a series of water pipelines across the US, to channel flood water to holding tanks in other areas, and to supply water to drought stricken areas. Millions in the Southwest will literally be left in the dark and blistering heat when theres no longer enough water behind the dam to power the giant electricity-producing turbines. A Canadian entrepreneur's plan published in 1991 diverted water from eastern British Columbia to the Columbia River, then envisioned a 300-mile pipeline from the river through Oregon to a reservoir near Alturas, California. Studies and modern-day engineering have proven that such projects are possible but would require decades of construction and billions of dollars. Every day, we hear about water conservation, restrictions. Other forms of augmentation, like desalination, are also gaining popularity on the national scene as possible options. In northwestern Iowa, a river has repeatedly been pumped dry by a rural water utility that sells at least a quarter of the water outside the state. The resulting fresh water would bepiped northto the thirsty state. Were not looking for the last dollar out of this project, he told me. Rescue the oceans from the pollution that flood waters pick up and dump into the ocean, creating dead zones. Las Vegas' grand proposal is to take water from the mighty Mississippi in a series of smaller pipeline-like exchanges among states just west of the Mississippi to refill the overused. A Kansas groundwater management agency, for instance, received a permit last year to truck 6,000 gallons of Missouri River water into Kansas and Colorado in hopes of recharging an aquifer. Do we have the political will? In China, the massiveSouth-to-North Water Diversion Projectis the largest such project ever undertaken. Most notably, the Mississippi River basin doesnt always have enough water to spare. Viaderos team estimated that the sale of the water needed to fill the Colorado Rivers Lake Powell and Lake Mead the largest reservoirs in the country would cost more than $134 billion at a penny a gallon. No. For as long as this idea has been proposed. All rights reserved. Precedents set by other diversion attempts, like those that created the Great Lakes Compact, also cast doubt over the political viability of any large-scale Mississippi River diversion attempt, said Chloe Wardropper, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor researching environmental governance. Absolutely. An additional analysis emerged a decade later when Roger Viadero, an environmental scientist and engineer at Western Illinois University, and his graduate students assessed proposals suggested in last summers viral editorials. Historian Ted Steinberg said itsummed up "the sheer arrogance and imperial ambitions of the modern hydraulic West.". Studies and modern-day engineering have proven that such projects are possible but require decades of construction and billions of dollars. The Associated Press Climate team contributed images and page design. I think it would be foolhardy to dismiss it as not feasible, said Richard Rood, professor of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering at the University of Michigan. All that snow in Arizona is nice now but officials worry that it could create disastrous flooding and wildfire conditions. YouTube star and Democratic political novice Kevin Paffrath proposed the Mississippi River pipeline last week during a debate among candidates seeking to replace Gov. To be talking about pipe dreams, when thats not even feasible for decades, if at all Its a disservice, Scanlan said. Other forms of augmentation, like desalination, are also gaining popularity on the national scene as possible options. Arizona's legislature allocated$1 billion in its last session for water augmentation projectslikea possible desalination plant, and state officials are in discussions with Mexican officials about the idea, saidBuschatzke. California wants to build a $16 billion pipeline to draw water out of the Sacramento River Delta and down to the southern part of the state, but critics say the project would deprive Delta farmers of water and destroy local ecosystems. But pipelines and other big ideaswill always attract interest, hydrology experts said, because they falsely promise an innovative, easy way out. Noting about 4.5 million gallons per second of Mississippi River flow past the Old River Control Structure in Louisiana, the letter writer explains diverting 250,000 gallons per second would. Famiglietti said as long as urban areas in the West don't persist in untrammeled growth, they have enough supply for the immediate future, with the ability to rip out lawns, capture stormwater runoff in local reservoirs, do municipal audits to fix leaks and other tools. Answer (1 of 21): Interbasin transfer is something we try to avoid. Asked about a Mississippi River pipeline or other new infrastructure to rescue the Colorado River, federal and state officials declined to respondor said there was no realistic chance such a major infrastructure project is in the offing. A recent edition of The Desert Sun had twoletters objectingto piping water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River, and on to California. On the heels of Arizonas 2021 push for a pipeline feasibility study, former Arizona Gov. Such major infrastructure is an absolute necessity, said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, who said he represents the governor on all things Colorado River.. Gavin Newsom if he's. Arizona, which holds "junior"rights to Colorado River water, meaning it has already been forced to make cuts and might be legally required to make far larger reductions, wants to build a bi-national desalination plant at the Sea of Cortez, which separates Baja California from the Mexican mainland. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); A nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Here in the scorching Coachella Valley, local governments have approved construction of four surf resorts for the very wealthy. PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION. Coffey said the project isn't really a pipeline, but more "a bypass for an aging 60-year-old"system. And contrary to Siefkes' claims, experts said, the silty river flows provide sediment critical to shore up the rapidly disappearing Louisiana coast andbarrier islands chewed to bits by hurricanes and sea rise. An additional analysis emerged a decade later when Roger Viadero, an environmental scientist and engineer at Western Illinois University, and his graduate students assessed proposals suggested in last summers viral editorials. The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill that, if passed, would require restaurants to only provide water upon customer request. He said a major wastewater reuse project that MWD plans to implement by 2032 could ultimately yield up 150 million gallons of potable water a day from treated waste. When that happens, it wont be just tourists and recreational boaters who will suffer. It would carry about 50,000 acre-feet of water per year, much less than the original pipeline plan but still twice Fort Collins current annual usage. But interest spans deeper than that. Still, he admits the road hasnt always been easy, and that victory is far from guaranteed. You should worry, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids. To the editor: With the threat of brownouts and over-stressed power grids, dwindling water resources in California and the call to reduce consumption by 15%, I want to point out we are not all in this together. To be talking about pipe dreams when thats not even feasible for decades, if at all Its a disservice, Scanlan said. Conservation alternatives are less palatable than big infrastructure projects, but theyre also more achievable. You could do it.". "Arizona really, really wants oceanfront," she chuckled. Even smaller projects stand to be derailed by similar hiccups. The Colorado River's 1922 compact allocated about 23% of the Upper Basin's water to Utah, and the state uses about 72% of that water. Vessels ran aground and had to navigate very carefully. Arizona, for instance, has invested millions of dollars in wastewater recycling while other communities have paid to fix leaky pipes, making their water delivery systems more efficient. The price tag for construction would add to this hefty bill, along with the costs of powering the equipment needed to pump the water over the Western Continental Divide. Grist is powered by WordPress VIP. Lower Mississippi River flow means less sediment carried down to Louisiana, where its used for coastal restoration. Major projects to restore the coast and save brown pelicans and other endangered species are now underway, and Mississippi sediment delivery is at the heart of them. Photos of snowfall around northern Arizona. Dothey pay extra for using our water? The drought is so critical that this recent rainfall is a little like finding a $20 bill when youve lost your job and youre being evicted from your house, said Rhett Larson, a professor of water law at Arizona State University. By Brittney J. Miller, The Cedar Rapids Gazette. Known as one of the greenest commercial buildings in the world, since it opened its doors on Earth Day in 2013 the Bullitt Center has been setting a new standard for sustainable design. Its one of dozens of letters the paperhas received proposing or vehemently opposing schemes to fix the crashing Colorado River system, which provides water to nearly 40 million people and farms in seven western states. Any water diversion from the Mississippi to Arizona must be pumped about 6,000 feet up, over the Rockies. I think the feasibility study is likely to tell us what we already know, he said, which is that there are a lot less expensive, less complicated options that we can be investing in right now, like reducing water use. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy. Politics are an even bigger obstacle for making multi-state pipelines a reality. In any case, Utah rejected a permit for the project in 2020, saying it would jeopardize the states own water rights. Trans-national pipelines would also impact ecological resources. As an engineer, I can guarantee you that it is doable, Viadero said. The massive river, with tributaries from Montanato Ohio, is a national artery for shipping goodsout to sea. There are at least half a dozen major water pipeline projects under consideration throughout the region, ranging from ambitious to outlandish. The ongoing drought in California has hit its fourth year. But moving water from one drought-impacted area to another is not a solution.. A multi-state compact already prohibits any sale of water from the Great Lakes unless all bordering states agree to it, and its almost certain that Mississippi River states would pass laws restricting water diversions, or file lawsuits against western states, if the project went forward. Do they thank us for using our water? Politics are an even bigger obstacle to making multi-state pipelines a reality. Despite the recent defeat of a major plant in Huntington Beach, after the California Coastal Commission said it was too environmentally damaging, "ocean desalination can't be off the table," said Coffey. Two hundred miles north of New Orleans, in the heart of swampy Cajun country, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1963 cut a rogue arm of the Mississippi River in half with giant levees to keep the main river intact and flowing to the Gulf of Mexico. Nevertheless, Million hasnt given up, and hes currently working to secure permitting for the fourth iteration of the project. 1999-2023 Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Siphon off a big portion, and youd be swapping oneecological catastrophe for another, said Audubons Johnson. Twitter, Follow us on In their technical report, which hasnt been peer-reviewed, they calculated that a pipe for moving this scale of water would need to be 88 feet in diameter around twice the length of a semi trailer or a 100-foot-wide channel thats 61 feet deep. A water pipeline like Millions would help, if he could wave a magic wand and build it, but Fort believes the present scramble over the Colorado River will likely make such projects impossible to realize. The most obvious problem with this proposal is its mind-boggling cost. A pipeline taking water from the Missouri River west makes perfect sense, if you don't care about money, energy, or the environment. I can't even imagine what it would all cost. Savor that while your lawns are dying. The total projected cost of the plan in 1975 was $100 billion or nearly $570billion in today's dollars,comparable to theInterstate Highway System. . Pipeline sizes vary from the 2-inch- (5-centimetre-) diameter lines used in oil-well gathering systems to lines 30 feet (9 metres) across in high-volume water and sewage networks. States wish they wouldnt. The basic idea is to take water from the Mississippi River, pump it a thousand miles west, and dump it into the overtaxed Colorado River, which provides water for millions of Arizona residents but has reached historically low levels as its reservoirs dry up. Senior citizens dont go to wave parks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This story is part of the Grist seriesParched, an in-depth look at how climate change-fueled drought is reshaping communities, economies, and ecosystems. Its largestdam would be 1,700 feet tall, more than twice the height of Hoover Dam. Pat Mulroy, head of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, pitched a bold idea at a US Chamber of Commerce event last week: divert excess Mississippi River water to the west to irrigate crops to reduce pressure on the stressed Colorado River. The water, more than 44 million gallons a day, would come from 115 wells drilled between 1,000 and 5,000 feet deep in Beryl-Enterprise, a basin where the state has restricted use of shallow groundwater due to over-extraction. Moreover, we need water in our dams for hydroelectric power as well as for drinking and irrigation, so we would power the Hoover, Glen Canyon and Parker dams. Moreover, we need water in our dams for. USGS 05587500 Mississippi River at Alton, IL. Under the analyzed scenario, water would be conveyed to Colorados Front Range and areas of New Mexico to help fulfill water needs. "The desalinationplant Arizona has scoped out would be by far the largest ever in North America,"said Jennifer Pitt, National Audubon Society's Colorado River program director. Each year . Local hurdles include endangered species protections, wetlands protections, drinking water supply considerations and interstate shipping protections. According to DPS, the driver of the semi-truck lost control of the truck on the icy I-40 freeway near Williams, striking a DPS patrol car parked by the side of the highway. The trooper inside suffered minor injuries. The federal Bureau of Reclamation has already looked at piping 600,000 acre-feet of water a year from either the Missouri or the Mississippi. Donate today tohelp keep Grists site and newsletters free. One method for simulating streamflow and base flow, random forest (RF) models, was developed from the data at gaged sites and, in turn, was . It was the Bureau of Reclamation. Much of the sediment it was carrying was dropped in the slow moving water of the Delta. Most recently, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure in 2021 urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. Experts say theres a proverbial snowballs chance in August of most of theseschemes being implemented. Even at its cheapest, the project would cost about twice as much per acre-foot of water delivered than other solutions like water conservation and reuse. "I started withtoilets, I was the toilet queen of L.A.," said Westford. Another businessman in New Mexico has pushed plans to pump river water 150 miles to the city of Santa Fe, but that water would have to be pumped uphill. Arizona and Nevada residents must curb their use of water from the Colorado River, and California could be next. "We do not expect to see (carbon capture and storage) happen at a large scale unless we are able to address that pipeline issue," said Rajinder Sahota, deputy executive officer for climate change . Even if the government could clear these hurdles, the odds that Midwestern states would just let their water go are slim. Flooding along the Mississippi River basin appears to have become more frequent in recent years, as has the [] pipeline, line of pipe equipped with pumps and valves and other control devices for moving liquids, gases, and slurries (fine particles suspended in liquid). Million told Grist that hes secured partial funding for the project from multiple banks and the infrastructure company MasTec, but it remains unclear how much he would have to charge to make the project profitable. Haul icebergs from the Arctic to a new southern California port. The idea of drinking even heavily treated liquid wastemay seem unpalatable, but Westfordthinks people will adapt. Drainage area 171,500 square miles . Not mentioned was the great grand-daddy of all schemes for re-allocating water, known as the North American Water and Power Authority Plan. Each edition is filled with exclusive news, analysis and other behind-the-scenes information you wont find anywhere else. A 45-mile, $16 billion tunnel that would mark California's largest water project in nearly 50 years took a step closer to reality this week, with Gov. Weve had a few blizzards along the way, and some gun battles, but it is what it is.. The idea of diverting water from the Mississippi to the Colorado River basin is an excellent one, albeit also fantastically expensive. . Absolutely not," said Meena Westford, executive director of Colorado River resource policy for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. An earlier version of this story misidentified for which agency Jennifer Pitt was a technical adviser. It would cost at least $1,700 per acre-feet of water, potentially yield 600,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2060 and take 30 years to construct. In fact, she and others noted, many such ideas have been studied since the 1940s. So moving water that far away to supplement the ColoradoRiver, I don't think is viable. Here are some facts to put perspective to several of the. People need to focus on their realistic solutions.. In northwestern Iowa, a river has repeatedly been pumped dry by a rural water utility that sells at least a quarter of the water outside the state. But we need to know a lot more about it than we currently do.. Engineers said the pipelineidea is technically feasible. Diverting that water also means spreading problems, like pollutants, excessive nutrients, and invasive species. The water will drain into the headwaters of the Colorado river. She and others worked to persuade reluctant consumers, builders and policymakers to ditchwidely usedsix-gallon flush toilets in favor of perfectly effective two-gallon versions. And, here in the land of the midnight 90-degree temperatures, we are building our very own ice hockey rink, because there is more than enough electricity to freeze that body of water and keep the arena cold enough to keep the ice from melting. Formal large-scale water importation proposals have existed in the United States since at least the 1960s, when an American company devised the North American Water and Power Alliance to redistribute Alaskan water across the continent using reservoirs and canals. They also concluded environmental and permitting reviews would take decades. The California Aqueduct carries about 13,000 cubic feet per second through the Central Valley; the Colorado River atLees Ferry runs about 7,000 to 14,000 cfs; the Mississippi at Vicksburg varies from 400,000 to 1.2 million cfs. I find it interesting that households have to watch how much water theyare usingfor washing clothes, wateringlawns, washing cars,etc. As an engineer, I can guarantee you that it is doable, Viadero said. Doug Ducey signed legislation this past July that invested $1.2 billion to fund projects that conserve water and bring more into the state. [1] One proposed solution to the Colorado River Basin's water scarcity crisis has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched West . The river's web, if some have their way, could become even larger. As the largest single contractor of the SWP and a major supporter of Southern California water conservation and recycling programs, Metropolitan seeks feasible alternatives to convey Colorado River Aqueduct supplies or Diamond Valley Lake storage from the eastern portion of its service area or purified water from Pure Water Southern California . Certainly not the surrounding communities. Arizona state legislators asked Congress to consider a pipeline that dumps Mississippi water into the Green River, but there are alternate possibilities. In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Interiors Bureau of Reclamation completed the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken within the Colorado River Basin at the time, which analyzed solutions to water supply issues including importing water from the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Among its provisions, the law granted the states water infrastructure finance authority to investigate the feasibility of potential out-of-state water import agreements. Seeking answers,The Desert Sun consultedwater experts, conservation groups and government officials for their assessments. But, as water scarcity in the West gets more desperate, the hurdles could be overcome one day. Facebook, Follow us on ", Westford of Southern California's Metropolitan Water District agreed. The main pipeline would span about 1,000 miles from Jackson, Miss., along the southern borders of Colorado and Utah to Lake Powell, at an elevation of about 3,700 feet. He said hes open to one but doesnt think its necessary. Asked what might be the requirements and constraints of a pipeline from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Gene Pawliksaid, Since (the Army Corps) has not done a formal study related to the use of pipelines to move water between watersheds, we cannot speculate on the details or cost of such projects..