Its planting season in Colorado, Sergio, a resident of Greeley, goes to Home Depot, and buys a wide range of plants: Heirloom tomatoes, tulips, sunflowers and even some daisies for his garden. Like most Coloradoans, he loves spending countless of hours outside, maintaining his garden. There is a great devotion to horticulture and hard work, digging holes, having the right fertilizer, the appropriate spacing between plants, and of course watering them. In order to keep these plants lush and flourishing with a spectrum of color, water is a necessity. A great way to obtain water is to harvest rainwater. The state of Colorado is known for its sustainable efforts for the environment. So conserving rainwater from one’s rooftop is common-sense. But if Sergio were to harvest rainwater from his downspouts, he would be breaking the law. The debate is to whether to allow residents of Colorado to collect rainwater in barrels for outdoor purposes. …show more content…
The Residential Precipitation Collection Rain Barrels bill aims to make every drop of rain count. This bill was introduced to the Senate Committee of Agriculture, Natural Resources, & Energy, on March 4, 2015, and sponsored by Democrats Rep. Daneya Esgar, Rep. Jessie Danielson, and Sen. Michael Merrifield (CO HB15-1259). The bill “would allow the collection of precipitation from a residential rooftop if: A maximum of 2 rain barrels with a combined storage capacity of 110” (CO HB15-1259). Additionally, it would lift current bans set by the Prior Appropriation law which was enacted in 1872. The Prior Appropriation law, is refers to as the “priority doctrine,” which is a system mandated by Colorado’s Constitution and it regulates the use of surface water in rivers or tributary groundwater connected to the river basin (qtd. in Hobbs). Water right and well holders are the only residents that can collect rainwater in Colorado because of the Appropriation
The Colorado River Basin starts in the Rocky Mountains and cuts through 1500 miles of canyon lands and deserts of seven US states and two Mexican states to supply a collection of dams and reservoirs with water to help irrigate cropland, support 40 million people, and provide hydroelectric power for the inland western United States [1,2]. From early settlement, rights over the river have been debated and reassigned to different states in the upper and lower basin; however, all the distribution patterns lead to excessive consumption of the resource. In 1922, the seven US states signed into the Colorado River Compact, which outlined the policy for the distribution rights to the water [3], however, this compact was written during an exceptionally
“Every homeowner should consider a rain garden to decrease the amount of pollutants running into the watershed” (Morris 305).
The Colorado River is drying up and people are in desperate need for water. However, farmers and cities are fighting to see who should have the rights to the water.
A spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources states that water collection is subject to existing water rights per NRS 533.030. The interpretation is that you cannot collect water in rain barrels without the benefit of a "water right". However, the spokesperson goes on to say that the Division of Water Resources does not police nor will they police rain
Landscaping techniques, such as drip irrigation and xeriscaping can reduce California's use of water immensely. Eighty Percent of the state’s developed water
During the early 1800s and 1900s the legislation passed involving water was regarding how it could be brought to the people. In 1886, Lux vs Haggin established the "California Doctrine"(Sucheng, C., and Olin, S. Pg 138). This ruled that any corporation or person to whom was brought water by an agent of the state would be charged a fee and need to comply with all rules and regulations. The main reason for the written law was to "provide a mode by which the state,
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
California is the nation’s leading agricultural producer and one of the major agricultural regions of the world. Reductions in precipitation and water available for irrigation are being largely offset by increased groundwater pumping, an unsustainable situation at least in the southern Central Valley” (Wang 6997-6998). What will California do when we have used most of our underground water? What solutions will we be left with as a state? Maybe now is the time for California to enforce new laws in order to find a solution to this water drought. Besides raising water prices, California needs to enforce all residents living in California to reuse water by making it a state law. Residents and business owners in California should be notified ahead of time regarding this new law so they can prepare their business and homes with water systems that will allow them to reuse water. These water systems should be required to use recycled water to irrigate landscapes and crops. By enforcing this law the entire state would be able to conserve more water towards the possibility of ending this water drought. Homes and businesses in California should also be required to install graywater systems to water lawns and flush toilets. If residents do not apply any of these new laws then residents should find themselves with a fine of a
Agriculture, probably more than any other human enterprise, is responsible for destabilizing our planet’s water supply. California and their emergency crisis on their low levels of water ultimately having a national controversial impact on the production of the agricultural industry.
Leonardo da Vinci, famous artist, engineer, philosopher, and scientist, once said, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Water is one of, if not the most valuable resource for all life. Although 71% of the Earth is water, only 2.5% of it is fresh and safe for human consumption. Despite previously being considered a renewable resource, water is becoming scarce, especially in California. As more and more water is disappearing, California is struggling to find a solution to its unprecedented drought. Solutions thus far – imported water, desalination, and ridiculous restrictions on use – have not made a significant enough impact. However, a new, revolutionary resolution has appeared: potable water. Potable, or recycled, water is water
The economy, agriculture, and natural life of the state will be in turmoil if there are not more actions and orders put in place to prevent the over consumption of water. This needs to start with preserving current water resources, especially aquifers and groundwater wells, in order to allow the rebuilding process of reservoirs to occur. The distribution of water in the state needs to be altered to accommodate the drought, as the snowpacks and aquifers aren’t up to maximum height, meaning less efficiency. The water acquired through runoff isn’t enough to fuel the entire state of California’s needs as important urban developments and agricultural goods are not being watered (USGS). The winter months usually provide for the entire state as a whole, yet since the beginning of the 2011 drought, many have been forced to change their lifestyles due to the unforeseen circumstances brought on by the arid climate and drought. All in all, the current distribution of water and the usage of the water in the entire state is wasteful and damaging to the environment and future. Support for low-use shower and faucet heads, as well as toilets that use less gallons of water will ultimately be the best start for the state’s solution to the drought. Coupled with executive action by the Governor and a drastic redesign of the distribution of water in the state,the devastating effects of the
The Wrong Way to Think about California Water by Michael Hiltzik informs readers on his thoughts of the various ways water is consumed in the world. He discusses the topics of water bottles, agriculture, urban use, reservoirs, and crop irrigation. Mr. Hiltzik supports his claims with numerous facts and he indicates problems on how water is consumed.
Some states have regulated the collection of rainwater, but have not necessarily banned the collection. Some states even offer tax incentives for the proper collection and retention of rainwater on your own property.
One such farm uses more than 22 billion gallons of water annually to irrigate their 30,000-acre wheat and corn farm (Parker). Another contributing factor is the pressure for farmers to continue over irrigating their lands. The push behind this practice is coming from other businesses, like seed and grain mill operations, farm implement dealers, bankers, and anyone else that rely on these farms for a living. Even the majority of the farmers are for this because their property is worth more and earns more as long as it stays green compared to going to a dry land
Back in April 2014 AgriMet, a pilot crop water conservation project developed by Anheuser-Busch, the Bureau of Reclamation and two state universities was implemented to improve water efficiency for Idaho Falls area barley growers (Anheuser-Busch, "Bureau of Reclamation and Anheuser-Busch...”). The AgriMet project supports Anheuser-Busch long-term sustainability objective of reducing impacts across its global value chain. Further, Anheuser-Busch’s objective is to reduce water risks and improve water management in one-hundred percent of its key barley growing regions in partnership with local stakeholders (Anheuser-Busch, "Bureau of Reclamation and Anheuser-Busch...”). The partnership between the Bureau of Reclamation, University of Idaho and