The 20 Farming Families Who Use More Water From the Colorado River Than Some Western States
The 20 Farming Families Who Use More Water From the Colorado River Than Some Western States
Tens of millions of people — and millions of acres of farmland — rely on the Colorado River’s water. But as its supply shrinks, these farmers get more water from the river than entire states.
Outstanding journalism. Say the numbers and say their names. Do not let the water barons hide.
The generational accumulation of massive wealth and its centralization among only a few families is a hallmark of inequality, and it's no different for a farming empire than for a tech or finance empire.
When there is no more water, drink Alex Abatti's blood instead.
Agreed. Amazing research. Fuuuuck these people.
Asked this spring if it was fair for Imperial farmers to receive so much river water, California Gov. Gavin Newsom told The Desert Sun,“It is what it is. It’s called senior water rights, and they are well established in law. And they matter.”
The eastern US uses riparian water rights; everyone has the right to use a reasonable amount of water. If there's not enough water, water usage is limited essentially equally across all the rights-holders.
The western US mostly uses the prior appropriation doctrine - "first in time, first in right". Basically, as the west was being settled, you could use as much river water for a mine or settlement as you wanted, so long as you didn't impact the people who were already there. In the case of a shortage, people with the most recent water rights have to reduce their usage so they don't impact the senior water rights.
Western water rights maybe made sense originally as the first mines were being built, but they have inequality baked into them from the start. They don't seem like a great system for the conservation challenges of today.
So they get the water for free and get paid for from tax dollars to conserve water?
Maybe if they actually had to pay for it, conserving water would be something they would do on their own just to to save money...
If I understand correctly from the article, it sounds like they're caught in a loop (sans Abattis family) and need something to change in order to further cut water usage (sans Abattis; because it sounds like they just don't give a fuck).
Basically if I got this right:
They grow a combination of food for humans and feedstock for animals; and most of the water is being consumed by feedstock.
They (sans Abattis family) are aware that they use a shitton of water and have been trying to take steps to reduce their water consumption, but doing so is expensive because of the equipment that's required.
They're able to grow feedstock because water is cheap enough for feedstock to be profitable, which is necessary to reduce their water consumption because growing food alone isn't as profitable enough.
Food isn't profitable enough because apparently the wholesale market value of food is so low that it's hard to make ends meet on food alone, which is why they also grow feedstock using cheap water.
However doing so means they consume a lot more water than they need to, which means they need better ways of getting water for their crops, which is something they're aware of and trying to address, but they need money for that, which comes from feedstock grown using cheap water, which means they consume a lot more water than they need to, and so on.
Then you have the Abattis family who appear to use significantly more water than the rest of the major families and just don't care.
Note: I'm not trying to excuse or justify their excessive water usage, but the article makes it sound like it's more complicated than "just cut their water access".
Also, factor in why the water became cheap and/or free. The Department of Reclamation ran around the west over the last century building dams and selling cheap water. These are now generations of family later doing what they have always done. Not apologizing for the behavior of the families, but the US government built this house of cards, they even knew as early as the 1950s that the water wasn't going to support the growth rate, and basically decided, "Eh, that's 50 years from now's problem." Even earlier on they realized the estimation for average Colorado River flow was incorrect. Capitalist "let's just worry about this quarter" mentality led to where we are now, thanks government!
Some arbitrary "fun" facts throughout these learnings:
- There was actually a plan to build a series of 6 nuclear reactors and a pipeline from the Mississippi River to New Mexico to supplant their water usage.
- The Ogallala Aquifer that spans from the Dakotas to CO/NM/TX was predicted to run out in a similar 50 year timeframe. Many wells in NM now pump brine instead of water, because spoiler alert: it's tapped.
- The Great Salt Lake's water level has dropped so low now, that they have heavy metal dust storms. Unfortunately, this does not sound as good as it sounds.
Heavy metal dust storms do sound pretty fucking cool tho
Wish we could just grow food and sell at-cost while we all pitched in to subsidize the wages of those involved, but I guess wasting more water than some states use just to make a profit is a good alternative system.
I bet we will see more and more farmers turn to pot and hemp as the industry grows. I bet that the wholesale margins on good pot are a lot better than that of food
Land of the free water
Alright I'm dyslexic but I never saw the reznicks mentioned and they have to be a top family. Iirc they still own the California water Bank.
Yet again irrigating to feed cattle which apparently only 10% of people eat.
I don't know how to resolve this kind of issue without it looking like a transfer of wealth from us fellow tax-payers to these big farm families:
- Pay to purchase their water rights, and provide a place in a wetter area of California to resume growing,
- or let them stay in place, pay to reduce their water usage
Or we spend real money and quality of life to illegally deny them water, but all our food prices go up, nevermind the legal costs.
At some point it won't matter what's legal or not, we need water to drink.
This is seemingly an expensive problem to resolve, but two key items need to be cared for, no matter the decision: skilled farmers who knows how to produce need to be kept working if they choose, and we need to start thinking in a more than quarterly manner to plan for long term success. Who thought growing food in the desert was a good idea?
C) charge them the for the water they are pulling out of a river they don't actually own.
They decided to farm in a desert because they could pass the enormous cost of doing so to other people. They aren't owed shit.
Meanwhile, the government pays farmers where it rains and hay grows well to leave fields barren. It gives farmers welfare payments and increases grain prices.