A report hot off the press (24 July 2015) from the Family Farm Alliance, whose mission is: 'Protecting water for Western irrigated agriculture': Colorado River Basin Management - Principles & Management.
Abstract
The Family Farm Alliance is a grass-roots organization with the sole mission of protecting and enhancing irrigated agriculture in the Western United States. We have crafted this paper articulating our principles for smart, effective management of water resources in the Colorado River Basin to help decision-makers in the Basin deal with the harsh realities of current and future water shortages due to drought and over-allocation of water to growing, predominantly municipal, demands. Even with all of the various water users’ perspectives on demand management and other issues in the Colorado River Basin, there is support for the main drivers behind the Alliance’s policy thrust summarized in eight principles. Based on these principles, there are four common recommendations that we believe will be critical to successful drought and water shortage management efforts in the Colorado River Basin.The Family Farm Alliance believes that the Colorado River Basin can and will successfully work through future droughts and water shortages in a collaborative and effective way. The future of millions of people and millions of acres of farms and ranches and the food and fiber they produce in the Basin rest on this belief. We also believe if Basin interests use the principles and recommendations in this paper, solutions can be found that do not pit one user against another in resolving differences and complex water problems. The Alliance looks forward to working with the many agricultural, urban, energy and environmental water users in finding these solutions so critical to the future of the Colorado River Basin.
Some thoughtful recommendations:
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Planning for water shortage in the Basin must look to the long-term in meeting the goals of agriculture, energy, urbanization and the environment.
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A successful water shortage strategy must include a “portfolio” of water supply enhancements and improvements, such as water reuse, recycling, conservation, desalination, water-sensitive land-use planning, and water system improvements. New infrastructure and technologies can help stretch water for all uses.
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Temporary fallowing proposals should be approached in a thoughtful, thorough manner only after urban, energy and environmental users of water demonstrate a better management of their share of the finite supply and only for temporary shortfalls caused by droughts or emergency situations.
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Unintended consequences associated with reducing productive agricultural land/groundwater recharge/riparian habitat benefits should be avoided and, if unavoidable, minimized and fully mitigated.
Here are more reports from the FFA.
Enjoy!
"Maybe this world is another planet's hell." - Aldous Huxley (via @TheWeek)
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