Smart & Stupid Water Use

Today’s Post: Positives & Negatives

PRO

SDI. No this is not Reagan’s Space Defense Initiative, it’s the latest in water conservation in agriculture. Subsurface Drip Irrigation allows less water to be applied to a row crop, without evaporative losses. A field is leveled, and drip lines are installed at a depth of 6-24” below grade every other row. Water can be applied to accommodate natural precipitation and crop demands. The result is dramatic savings in water application rates and crop yields.

While initially a bit more expensive than irrigation guns, the technology is on a financial par with center pivot and fixed sprinkler irrigation system but without evaporative losses and with reduced labor costs. Evaporative losses from surface sprinkler irrigation can exceed 30% and with flood irrigation, the rate of deep percolation and evaporation can reach 50%. SDI slashes that to nearly zero.

CON

SWU. No that’s not a real term, it’s what I made up for “stupid water use.” While techies like Elon and not so techies like our President are clamoring over the benefits of AI and Bitcoin, here’s a not so fun-fact: A single Bitcoin transaction can use a swimming pool’s worth of water. That’s 6.2 million times more water used than a credit card swipe.

Bitcoin mining requires vast quantities of energy and with that I mean super-computers that must be cooled with water and coal-fired power plants that, again, must use vast quantities of water (for those who think nuclear energy is clean energy, think again, besides the waste, the cooling water requirements for nuclear plants is staggering). The average data center uses 300,000 gallons a day, enough to supply 100,000 homes. ChatGP and Google AI’s water footprint have increased dramatically as their usage increases.

Education is always the key as most people do not consider the environmental and resource impact of siting data centers (over a hundred data centers are locate in and around Phoenix and over two dozen in the Las Vegas area). More never associate energy and water consumption with Bitcoin. So how do you feel about the lure of Bitcoin?

Water Mistakes of the Week (Part II)

PRO

The Clean Water Act as it is called is an amalgamation of prior acts that were extensively overhauled and amended in 1972. Then President Nixon’s attempted veto of the Act was overridden by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. It was time. Scenes of the Cuyahoga River on fire, the stench of the Delaware River, and the condition of the Potomac (where doctors recommended tetanus shots for anyone coming into contact with the river), prompted a national response.

Fast forward a generation. The Cuyahoga now boasts over sixty species of fish and is safe for “primary contact,” the Delaware hosts fishing and boating, and fish and wildlife have rebounded on the Potomac with the appearance of dolphins in its lower reaches.

Bipartisan action and common sense prevailed. Today, we see cuts to Clean Water but I have confidence clean water and clean air are positives for most people.

CONS

Last week, I talked about the Columbia River and the current administration’s unprovoked fight with Canada demonstrated how politics and politicians can really muck up effective water planning. Well, the current political climate isn’t the only time smart water usage and common sense were replaced by political dogma.

Take the Red River, that originates in the arid Texas panhandle, serves as the boundary between Oklahoma and Texas, and then flows through Arkansas and Louisiana to the Mississippi River. Its name is derived from the geology it flows through picking up a heavy load of sodium chloride (salt). By the time it reached the Oklahoma/Texas border, its usefulness as a source of freshwater is compromised.

In contrast, the rivers in southeast Oklahoma contribute vast quantities of clean freshwater diluting much of the salt load by the time the river enters Arkansas and Louisiana. No harm no foul, unless you’re Texas, whose border lies entirely within this impaired section of the river known as Reach II of the Red River Compact, an agreement between the four states that share the river. In Reach II, five subbasins are defined, each with different rights to access and use water. Two of the five subbasins are entirely within Texas and two are in Oklahoma (and a small area of Arkansas. Between them is the mainstem area known as Subbasin 5, in which Oklahoma and Texas have equal rights to.   

Curiously, Oklahoma has abundant water in the Southeast corner of the state with annual precipitation double to triple of what Texas and western Oklahoma receives. On average 32 million acre feet of water flow unused out of Oklahoma a year. For perspective, the Colorado River that supplies the seven western states including the cities of Denver, Phoenix, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the country of Mexico averages 13 million acre feet, or about a third of what flows unused out of Oklahoma. Unless someone thinks Oklahoma will somehow gain a dozen cities the size of Los Angeles, the state would never use that amount. And, would Oklahoman’s want all those city people?

Enter North Texas, Dallas Fort Worth. A dozen years ago, they wished to tap Texas’ portion of the Red River just before the freshwater rivers in Oklahoma dump into the impaired Red River, after and below all uses in Oklahoma. And to boot, they would pay Oklahoma (and the local tribes) handsomely for that right. Seems like a no-brainer, right?

Wrong. Enter politics and football. Oklahoman politicians confided that they knew it made perfect sense to sell an unused asset to defray massive state budget shortfalls, but they could not be seen to “give away Oklahoma water to Texans” else they would not be re-elected. Why the reluctance? Two reasons repeatedly resounded: 1) “we need the water for the future”; and 2) “they take our quarterbacks and best players and now want our water.”

You can’t save water of that magnitude for future years. There’s that pesky concept of gravity. The water is going to flow out of state. And, as for football, well that at least has a little logic. Just a little.

More than a dozen years later, water and those unused dollars continue to flow wasted to the Gulf of Mexico, or America, or whatever it’s called beyond the twelve-mile limit.

Again, wise water management is best left to the professionals, not politicians.

In fairness, please forgive my slant. I was counsel for the Texas interests on this project and case from its inception through the U.S. Supreme Court.

Water Mistakes of the Week

PRO

The Aral Sea is one of the worst examples of water management that led to an environmental crisis in Kazakhstan. The third largest lake in the world at one time, it began shrinking in the 1960’s due to upstream Soviet irrigation projects. Forty years later not only was the Soviet Union gone, but 90% of the lake as well. Concentrations of salt, pesticides, industrial waste, and toxic chemicals from weapon testing soon brought an ecological collapse. Windborne dust spread this toxic brew to neighboring population centers with horrific results.

I know, by now you’re asking why I put this in the “PRO” section. Wait, it will get better. Through wise water management by the Kazakhstan authorities, the lake is rebounding. Salinity has declined four-fold and water volume has increased dramatically. All this in a few years.

Just like when we saw Covid’s positive effect on the environment, when man takes positive action, nature can recover.

CONS

Now for an example of negative action, once again extreme politics defy common sense and good water management. Here’s an example.

The Columbia River is the largest River in the Northwest. The river is the lifeblood of Washington and Oregon supplying agriculture, a booming economy, Native American culture, and hydropower. With over 150 large scale hydropower projects, including Grand Coulee dam, the fifth largest hydroelectric plant in the world, it supplies clean energy to a wide swath of the western United States.

The river originates in Canada flowing into the State of Washington and then along the Oregon/Washington border to the Pacific. In 1964, Canada and the United States entered into a Treaty for its shared use. Set to expire in 2024, the Biden administration worked with Canada for a temporary extension and development of a new agreement that would result in continued guaranteed flows to the US, shared hydro revenues, and some direct payments. As a part of the Trump Administration’s economic war with Canada, the US paused negotiations this month, interjecting trade war dialogue into wise water management. A word of caution to the self-labeled master of the deal. There’s an age-old water saying every water lawyer knows to be true: I’d rather be upstream with a shovel than downstream with a water right.

Wise water management is best left to the professionals, not politicians.

In the next installment, I’ll continue this theme with another example of how politics (and football) threw an incomplete pass to wise management and economics on the border of Texas and Oklahoma.

Water Myths

Today’s Post: Positives & Negatives

Today’s P&N observations focus on advances in science (the Positive), and Political Fabrications (the Negative). It’s been a tough week to find positives. Not so tough to find the negatives. 

·       The POSITIVE: Scientists in Japan announced the development of a new clear plastic substitute that breaks down in ten days in soil and in even less time in seawater, which could help stem the proliferation of microplastics and plastic pollution.

The NEGATIVE: Whatever happened to geography, cartography, topography (all those “raphy” sciences)? Donald Trump blamed California’s wildfires on the state not allowing “all this fresh water coming down from Canada and the Pacific Northwest from flowing into California.” News flash: North on a map does not mean uphill. With the exception of the Klamath, which flows to the sea in the far northwest corner of California, no rivers flow “into” California (the Colorado flows along the border of the state). Misinformation obscures real problems. Best to leave water to those that understand it.

Second, no, California politics wasn’t responsible for fire hydrants having low water pressures. While there are lots of examples of any state’s failings (and maybe California has more than its share), this rumor was fabricated by partisan pundits and perpetuated by politicians (apologies for the alliteration). Nearly every community of a certain size in the country designs fire safety water flows and infrastructure the same. Municipal water systems, mains, and hydrants are designed by civil engineers to strict uniform national codes and standards (International Fire Code, California Fire Code, National Fire Protection Association standards), whether the water utility is located in Texas, Kansas, or California. With less than an inch of rain in eight months and 80-100mph winds carrying embers for miles, no municipal water system could have withstood the onslaught. Best to leave water to those that understand it.

PRO’s & CON’s

FROM KLandPatrick’s

WATER LAWG SUBSTACK PAGE

Like many, I find the news feed (pretty much the whole spectrum) far too biased, sensationalist, dumbed-down, and depressing. There’s a positive story for every negative one, it just never makes the headline. With the advent of false narratives and misinformation, important subjects are being overlooked or obscured. My focus revolves around writing thrillers with elements of the environment and natural resources, particularly water, the later I have spent my whole life working with. Water is fraught with myths, mysteries, and politics, most of which can make wonderful literature, particularly thrillers. I invite you to read, share, and comment (respectfully please).

Today’s Post: Positives & Negatives

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Today’s P&N observations focus on advances in science (the Positive), and Political Fabrications (the Negative). It’s been a tough month to find positives. Not so tough to find the negatives.

The POSITIVE: Scientists in Japan announced the development of a new clear plastic substitute that breaks down in ten days in soil and in even less time in seawater, which could help stem the proliferation of microplastics and plastic pollution.

The NEGATIVE: Whatever happened to geography, cartography, topography (all those “raphy” sciences)? Donald Trump blamed California’s wildfires on the state not allowing “all this fresh water coming down from Canada and the Pacific Northwest from flowing into California.” News flash: North on a map does not mean uphill. With the exception of the Klamath, which flows to the sea in the far northwest corner of California, no rivers flow “into” California (the Colorado flows along the border of the state). Misinformation obscures real problems. Best to leave water to those that understand it.

Second, no, California politics wasn’t responsible for fire hydrants having low water pressures. While there are lots of examples of any state’s failings (and maybe California has more than its share), this rumor was fabricated by partisan pundits and perpetuated by politicians (apologies for the alliteration). Nearly every community of a certain size in the country designs fire safety water flows and infrastructure the same. Municipal water systems, mains, and hydrants are designed by civil engineers to strict uniform national codes and standards (International Fire Code, California Fire Code, National Fire Protection Association standards), whether the water utility is located in Texas, Kansas, or California. With less than an inch of rain in eight months and 80-100mph winds carrying embers for miles, no municipal water system could have withstood the onslaught. Best to leave water to those that understand it.

Because I am a full-time water attorney, part-time author, and otherwise attempting to have a life, expect a post twice a month, usually on Sundays. Initially, all my posts are free, so please subscribe on Substack and follow me here.

Thanks for reading K.LandPatrick's Water Lawg !

REMEMBERING THE TRUE MEANING OF THE FOURTH

246 years ago our founders declared their independence and a new form of self government, a democracy, was born. I was born on the 4th of July, so the day has always been important to me. Today there are challenges to democracy in Europe, the South China Sea, and even closer to home. My 4th wish is for us to unite (left and right) today to celebrate and renew our oath to democracy. Happy 4th!

MEET THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS

Some comparisons from the Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again (1971) and history. I’ve written before on the acts of Vladimir Putin (October 29, 2018 blog). The past ten days have reinforced the adage that history always repeats itself. 

Following the March 1938 absorption of Austria, Adolf Hitler announced his intention to “re-unite” the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia that was populated by many German-speaking people. Hitler claimed that the country of Czechoslovakia and its borders never were legitimate and labeled the populous “ethnic Germans” that needed to be protected. With this justification, Hitler threatened the western democracies to accept the takeover of a nation or face war. In a separate attempt to avoid war, the western democracies appeased Hitler and, without input from the Czechs, allowed the forced takeover of the lands and people.  

Eighty-four years later, Vladimir Putin, in a 55-minute rant, claimed that the country of Ukraine and its borders never were legitimate and labeled the populous of Ukraine “ethnic Russians,” that needed to be protected, announcing that the country would be re-united with Russia (these statements were a repeat of his claims in 2014 when he seized Crimea, and the world did nothing). With this justification, Putin threatened western democracies, of which Ukraine is one, to accept Ukraine’s takeover or face war. This time, there was no appeasement. The western diplomats were stronger and far more united this time. Had they not been, Putin’s next target would have undoubtedly been the Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian enclave detached from Russia on the Baltic coast between Lithuania and Poland.  

The lessons of history are to stop the bully. If you do not, you will be forced to confront a stronger bully later. Putin has grossly miscalculated. He is in a no-win situation. The Ukrainians will not accept occupation and he cannot control a country of 44 million with 180,000 troops. His economy is cratering. He will be toppled from within when the Russian people learn the truth and refuse to accept the path he has forged and pain he has caused… because history repeats itself and that is always the fate of autocrats who fail to appease the masses they control.

Water Security: The Impact on Water Providers, Wall Street, and the Banking Community

Is it Malpractice or Just Old-Fashioned Ignorance?

Not a day goes by without an article on your news feed that decries a Megadrought in the West, the Colorado River Going Dry, Groundwater Depleted or Contaminated, Wildfires in the West, or Impacts to Infrastructure from Sea Level Rise. While a creative headline is designed to catch the eye, the underlying theme cannot be ignored. The reliability and security of the nation’s wide supply are of critical concern.

Water security is another way of saying steps and protocols to ensure the prevention of an interruption in supply. Interruptions can come in the form of water quality disruptions (contamination of raw water and potable water supplies) or water quantity disruptions (disruption of source, collection, treatment, or delivery of water).

Since 9/11 billions of dollars have been spent on counter-terrorism funding for protecting and hardening public and private water infrastructure. In 2001, the civilian budget in homeland security was estimated to be $15.9 billion. After 9/11, that annual budget increased to $71 billion. Costs to protect critical infrastructure have exceeded $315 billion, with a sizable junk attributable to critical water infrastructure.

The nation has taken steps to protect against the threat of terrorism to critical water infrastructure. Politics and media have stood in the way of America addressing the larger threat: Climate change impacts to the nation’s water supply. First, we need to get past the false narrative that it’s is a left or right issue. Anyone in the water industry knows it is neither, it is a malpractice issue. To ignore it is malpractice – or just ignorance.

For a moment, forget the cause of climate change. I know, that’s a hard one. But throw it aside. Focus on the impacts. Everyone who is involved in water supply issues knows the impacts are real. They must be understood and planned for.

To understand the costs is to understand the impacts of climate change on critical water infrastructure such as:

·       Variability in Supply;

·       Variability in Quality of the Supply;

·       Increase in Demands; and

·       Physical alterations to Infrastructure: Sea Level Rise and Wildfire

Fact:   In the Western-US milder winters are becoming the norm. The result impacts the demand-side of water usage: 1) Up to 80% of water is used for agriculture – longer growing seasons equal more crop demand for water, and 2) electrical demands increase for such things as air-conditioning and water pumping. On the supply side, milder winters result in less snowpack (water) or more of that water coming in the form of rain. Where we once relied on nature’s natural reservoir – mountain snowpack – to run off slowly, now more precipitation falls as rain, lost to use without more reservoir storage.

Fact:   Heat is energy: As the atmosphere warms, the amount of energy and water in the atmosphere increases. Storms are more erratic and powerful. Where once gentle soaking rains could be relied on, now damaging flood and sediment-laden runoff compound the supply-side equation.

Perhaps in no other field are the impacts of a rapidly changing climate more evident than in water supply planning. This is just a sample of what must be considered when discussing water.

Watch for:

Part 2: How have the Law and Engineering Adapted to the Changing Waterscape?

and

Part 3: Wall Street, the Banking Community, and Real Estate Industry Can Rest Assured… or Not

Climate Change and Water Wars

Climate change is more about climate uncertainty and disruption. Many papers have been written on the impact of climate change and water security (including a few by me), but one increasing threat is that of conflict and war resulting from climate impacts to water availability. Water Wars was the subject of my first novel: “Threatened Waters.” An excellent read recently appeared in bbc.com entitled “How Water Shortages Are Brewing Wars” by Sandy Milne. To read the article click on the above picture.

A Happy 4th of July for the Nation

Two hundred and forty-five years ago, a year into the Revolutionary War, freedom from the crown of England was declared by the Continental Congress. Nearly two and a half centuries, and yet some in the past year would believe that the institutions many have fought and died for stand in their way. We are a divided nation, but one which has withstood many dark days and challenges domestic and foreign. On this 4th, let us all see ourselves not as right or left, D or R, but as Americans fortunate enough to live in a country which may be, in Thomas Jefferson’s words, an imperfect union, but a union which where change and perfection are within reach.

I was born on the 4th of July, so it has always been a special day for many reasons. Make this 4th a special day for all. Happy 4th!