Kansas Water Conservation

The agriculture industry lost around 1.7 billion dollars, due to not having the proper water allocations for the fields. On the west wide of the valley, half of their 600,000 acres of farmland went fallow, because they didn’t have enough water to farm them. And about 14,500 farm workers in the Central Valley lost their jobs. Without the proper water allocations, farmers will have to continue to pump ground water at extremely high costs, which will force people out of the industry and raise the price of the products produced by the those who can stay in. The impact of the fight over water ripples far beyond those just in agriculture, it affects all of

Nearly half the states in the U.S. are abnormally dry. This is a situation that will be happening until the world ends. By 2025, an estimated 1.8 billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity, with two-thirds of the world's population living in water-stressed regions as a result of use, growth, and climate change (“Clean Water Crisis, Water Crisis Facts, Water Crisis Resources”). This is something very serious to think about. We will be looking this problem directly in the face in less than 10 years unless we all make a conscious effort to significantly cut down on the amount of water we use. For a lot of third world countries, this water shortage problem is something that affects daily life. 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are without access to improved reliable drinking water sources (The Water Project). That's more people living without adequate water conditions, than the total population of the United States in 2014. As an American myself, the

In recent years, California’s water shortage has been an issue and in 2014 an alarming driest historical year has impacted the state in different ways. Because of the lack of rainfall and snow, California’s reservoirs are running insignificant water basins below their capacity. While water shortages are experienced slowly and throughout a length of time, the harshest impacts are noticeable in areas that produce California’s food where wells are used as resource for water in agriculture, and residential areas. Though, most agree the drought is an issue some do not agree. To understand the circumstances, this paper will look at the drought’s impacts on California’s economy for agricultural, famers, and consumers. Also, this written work will examine the environmental consequences of surface water obtainability, and the areas that have encounter the most devastating affects. For most, this paper will examine the allocations of the governor’s drought declaration, and the strategies used by residents to conserver water.

Over thousands of years water has been a very valuable element in our everyday lives. Now we are being faced with a shortage of water affecting not only us, but future generations as well. The drought has become an extreme issue that has affected the United States. For example, in Texas the dry spell has had an impact in families, politics and law, religion, health care, and mass media.

The water users of California have been asked to cut back water use whenever possible. This means shorter showers, drought resistant landscape, and low flow options for faucets and sprinklers. Farmer’s alike have been spotlighted to cut back on water use for it is calculated that they consume 80% of the state’s developed water supply (pacisnt). Although cutting back is a way to help conserve what is available, it is imperative that a new supply of fresh water be found before California overdrafts itself to no supply at all.

Scarcity occurs when the amount people desire exceeds the amount available at a zero price according to William McEachern (5). Therefore, the state of Texas is in need of developing a solution to the issue of water scarcity. Texas has had its share of droughts throughout the years however, with those droughts a reduction of water consumption hinders communities and especially large-acreage crops. So, some suggestions will be addressed in order to encourage further water management plans in order to avoid, Texas from drying up.

Living in Southwest Kansas there is always a need for water no matter what it is for. The importance of water in Kansas is getting dramatic due to the Ogallala Aquifer shrinking in size on a daily basis. There are thousands of things that can possibly go wrong because of our diminishing water supply. The impact that water has on our town is significant, hundreds of possible predicaments can occur because we would no longer have the aquifer, however, there are many ways we can prolong our water supply life in our generation that we are currently living.

Imagine walking into your house after being outside on a scorching summer’s day. Beads of sweat drip down your face, and you are completely parched. You turn on your faucet for a glass of water, but nothing comes out. This may sound like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie scene, but it can soon become a reality for those living on the west coast. Decades of unsustainable water practices have led to record low levels of water resources across the western states of the United States. Michelle Nijhuis of National Geographic reports that the western states of California, Nevada, and Arizona face a great deal of issues, due to the fact that their past system of water irrigation has become unsustainable. The first main factor behind this

If we don’t take care of the water supply that we have right now pretty soon there will be nothing and there won’t another choice but to move. Many programs have been put out to help the ranchers with their harvest. Many cities have put a limitation on to how much water one can use and how it should be used.

Farmers aren’t the only ones who should be making the effort to preserve water. Laws should be put in place that control how much of these natural resources people are allowed to use per month or per year. Resources should be conserved so time is bought for scientists to find new solutions to the problem. A 40 percent increase is expected in water demand over the next two decades. Not only that, but clean water isn’t available to one out of five people in the world. Also, only 1 percent of water on Earth is available for human consumption. Solutions are evidently needed.

Over the past 4 years the water crisis has been rearing its mean head not only across the globe, but here in our home country, in the state of California. The citizens in California have moved having a normal lawn of grass into the luxury category. Not only have lakes and rivers dried up, but reservoirs that provide water for the entire state have dropped to hazardous levels. In Calaveras County, home of the state’s fourth largest reservoir, levels of water have dropped to only 20% capacity.

The California drought as of March 2015 has increased severely and has affected not just the residents of California, but also the farmers as well. My claim is to find a reliable way to save water and have the residents of California informed about the situation and the wastefulness of water being replenished. In this paper I want to address the issue of how much water we are constantly wasting even though we are in an exceptionally severe drought. I believe that the water shortage not only affects the residents but also takes a toll in the agricultural areas as well. I want to argue the point that everyone who wastes water is held responsible and what we could do

“State water managers estimate that water tables in some parts of the valley have dropped 100 feet below historical lows. As water level sinks, the land can sink too-in some places by about a foot per year” (source 3). The more people ask for wells to be built so they can have water, the more the ground is going to be obsolete. Since a high percentage of the ground is water, the more people drill holes for wells, the sooner their land is going to be destroyed. “ The crippling drought is expected to cost the state $2.2bn in 2014 and put more than 17,000 farm workers out of a job, according to July study partly funded by the state’s department of food and agriculture” (source 2).

To conclude, farmers require a large sum of water. But in the end, it pays off with crop production. Farmers contribute a great deal deal to society. So California farmers should not suffer from water cuts because as you have seen water cuts are growing on these farmers, temporary fixes don't have promising outcomes, and California is a major contributor to food production in the United States. The United States would suffer greatly without California's production given that most product comes from California. Agriculture feeds the

Many states across the US look at California as the place where dreams are made. The Promised Land with a temperate climate and opportunities abound. Hundreds of thousands have migrated to the state over the past 100 years looking for jobs and taking advantage of all the state has to offer. This includes the apparent abundance of natural resources that are used by all residents across the sunshine state. This exodus has not been without effect. Currently, California is entering its 6th consecutive year of drought. This seems an unlikely situation considering the number of lakes and reservoirs across the state and that the Pacific Ocean solely makes up the west border. The lack of water impacts not only residents, but also the businesses that rely on the resource to produce. One such industry that is heavily reliant on water is agriculture. 2016 Agricultural reports indicate that California farmers, supply over ½ of the nation’s vegetables and over 2/3 of the nation’s fruits and nuts. As the severity of the drought increases with each year of declining rain and snowpack, opinions have been debated over the ethical use of water across the numerous communities within the state. Each city is making their claim to the groundwater that is underneath them. Every city, and sector within the city, provides some level of justification of their need for use of just a little more than their neighbor or counterpart. What is a ‘responsible’ amount and what are the just purposes of use?