MarkCrowther

English1010
Prof.Beatty
May5,2016
HowLongWillUtahHaveWater?
AsthepopulationofUtahisintendedtogrowdrasticallyinthenextfewyearsthewater
availabletothepopulaceisnot.Pastmethodsofmakingthewaterlastwasageneric
conservationofwater,whichisessentiallythelocalgovernmenttryingtomakeresidentsuseless
waterthanusedinpreviousyearsormonths.Thisisunfortunatelytheonlymethodthathasbeen
usedtomakeUtahswaterlast.Thismethodofwaterconservationmayhaveworkedifthe
populationwasnotgrowingattherateitis.Howeverbecausethepopulationgrowth,justusing
lesswaterisnottheonlyoptionanymore.WarrenPeterson,AgricultureViceChairofEnvision
Utah,whileinterviewedbyGood4Utah,claimsthatUtahspopulationisexpectedtodoubleby
theyear2050,andbecauseofthatlargepopulationgrowth,thecurrentwaterinfrastructurethat
isinplacewillnotbeabletosupportthatmanypeople.Petersonalsoclaimsthattomakethe
infrastructureabletosupportthatmanypeople,eitherthepeopleneedtousealotlesswater,or
bringthewaterinfromsomewhereelse,andtomakethemajorchangesofimportingwater
wouldcostaprojected32billiondollars(Good4Utah.com).Livinghereandseeingthe
constructionofallthenewapartments,orhousingcomplexesitiseasytoseethehousing
industryisplanningtosupporttheprojectedpopulationboom.Eventhepowercompaniesare
readyfortheincreaseofpeopleastheyrecentlycreatedanewpowerplantnexttoUtahLake.
Unfortunatelyasmuchprogressisabletobeseeninmultipleareas,notmuchisseeninthewater


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distributionareas.GrowingupinUtahandknowingabouttheultimatedependenceonthe
precipitationofthewintertolastforthesummeritisalittleunnervingtonotseeacontingency
putinplaceincasewedonotreceiveenoughprecipitationtosupporteveryonethefollowing
summer.Encouragingpeopletouselesswaterisnotenoughanymoreandabettermethodof
providingorconservingwaterneedstobeutilizedtosupportUtahsfuture.
Asallofthesefactscomefromonesource,theycouldbebiasedorskewedtobenefitthe
ideasplacedbyGood4Utah.com,howtheyaretryingtopushtheirpromotionofwater
conservation.Whichwouldbenefittheirpromotionbecauseofthelackofconstructioninthe
watersourcedepartmentisduetothefactthatthestatisticsmaybeincorrectasSarahGilmanof
HighCountryNewsclaims.GilmanclaimsthatthedarkfuturethattheUtahDepartmentof
WaterResourcesiscompletelywrong.GilmanstatedUtahsLegislativeAuditorGeneral
releasedadamningreportrevealingthatthewateragencysforecastsarebasedonunreliable
data(Gilman).Gilmanbringingupthisinformationaboutfalsedataisbasedonthemistakeof
countinghousingwaterforirrigationwater.Thismiscalculationwouldshowdrasticchangesin
thenumbersasahomeutilizeslesswaterthanafarmerusingirrigationfortheircrops,the
amountofhomesgoingup,andtheamountoffarmsgoingdown,givesthestatisticsseverely
differentnumbers.ThatcouldeitherminimizeoreliminatetheunfortunatefuturetheUDWRhas
projectedforus.Thisinformationonincorrectdatamakesthebuildingofthepipefor
U
tahto
moveitslastremainingshareoftheColoradoRiverobsoleteandthatconservingwateraswe
haveormaybealittlebitmorestringentwillgiveUtahachancetostaygreenerlonger.The
morepeoplethatmovetoUtahmaynotbeaproblembutmaybeablessingtoUtahasmore
residentialareaswilluselesswaterthanthefarmingcounterparts.Thisunfortunatelywillmake


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thefarmerhavetomoveorquit,butifsaidfarmerdoesmovelocationsorevenstatestheycould
movetothehumidcontinentalpartoftheUSwhichcouldofferthemabettercropreturninstead
oftryingtogrowafarminadesert.Thisinformationisvalidbutitdoesntmatterwhoisusing
thewateranymore.Therewillstillbeashortagewiththegrowingpopulationifwecontinueto
usethewaterlikewehavebeen.
ThegovernmenttriedtogetinvolvedinthewatershortageinthewesternUSinthe
ReclamationActof1902,whichwasauthorizingcopiousamountsofwatertobeutilizedfor
farmsinthewesternstates.Thenin1982theReclamationReformActwaspassedwhich
requiredirrigationdistrictstohavewaterconservationplansforthefederallysubsidizedwater,
whichwasntregulatedtoostrictly,thatcausedtheReclamationReformActtobeawasteof
timeandenergyforthedepartmentsinvolved.Finallyin1994theCentralUtahProjectwas
createdbytheUtahWaterConservationAdvisoryBoard.Thatwasaprojectedplantobuildthe
pipefromtheColoradoRiverandsupplywatertotheinneedareasofUtah,whichanyonetouse
Coloradowaterhadtohaveconservationregulationsandstandards,thatweremanagedbythe
CUPsponsorCentralUtahConservancyDistrict.TheCUCDwouldlookbeyondtheminimum
standardsandsetinplaceaprogramformakingcosteffectiveinvestmentsinwater
conservation(OsannandCampbell23).
Thefederalgovernmentbecominginvolvedisntanythingnewwhenastateeitherneeds
helporcannotsupporttheirownneedsbuttheyonlyputtheplansinplacetomakestuffhappen,
yetitneverdid.ThehelpthefederalgovernmenttriedtogivetoUtahandothersurrounding
stateswasmostlyawasteoftime,buttheyearstheytriedtogetinvolvediswhereitgets
interesting.In1902,1982,and1994Utahhashadwaterconservationissues,butwhatwasdone


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eitherhelpedforawhileorswepttheproblemundertheruguntilthenexttimeitcameup.
Havingthisproblembeingasoldasitisshowsthatmaybeitcantbesolvedbyjustconserving
waterandmaybeweneedtoimportourwaterfromanotherstateorfromanewlocation
altogether.
ApotentialcouldbewhatCaliforniaistryingtoproposefromtheirwatershortageissues.
Thesevereproblemstheyhavebeenhavinglately,includethescareofclosingtheborders
becausetherewasntenoughwatertosupporttheirpeople.Theproposedsolutiontothemajor
citiesinCaliforniaistodesalinatewaterfortheircommunityasthesmallercommunitieshave
alreadydonethistosupporttheirpeople.Thebiggestdrawbacksfromdesalinatedwaterarethe
inputtooutputratioishorribleastwolitersofsaltwatergoinandoneliteroffreshwaterand
oneliterofanextremebrinearetheoutputproduct,theissueofputtingbrinebackintothe
ocean,andthepricetodesalinateinthecurrentreverseosmosis(forcewaterthrougha
membraneorfiltertopurifythewater)methodisextremelyexpensiveandenergyinefficient.
Yettheamountofoceanwaterisalwaysenough,andtousethiswatersourceoffersalimitless
supplyoffreshwaterforthepopulace.NowusingthisforCaliforniaisbeneficialtotheir
communitiesastheydonthaveanywaterfortheirpeople,butifUtahwasabletocreateaway
tobuildapipelinefromthecostanddesalinateoceanwaterforthestateofUtahwouldstopall
watershortageissuesaswewouldthenhavealimitlesssupplyofwateratourfingertipsand
whenthereisntenoughprecipitationfromthewinterseasons,thedesalinatedoceanwaterwill
bethereasabackupandwillofferafinalsolutionforthewatercrisesinUtah.
ThefinalapproachtosolvingUtahswaterproblemcomesfromSandraPostelsreportin
ThePostCarbonReader.ShedirectstheindependentGlobalWaterPolicyProject.Within


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PostelsreportshepointsoutthefactthatUtahislocatedinadesertandshouldbetreatedassuch
tomakethewaterlast.Herapproachtoconservewaterwouldbetochangetogravelyardswitha
fewtreesandplantssimilartotherestofthesouthwesternareasoftheU.S.andthestatewould
stopforcingthingstogrow,makingcitizensusemorewater.Thismethodwouldbeextremely
effectiveasitwouldconservehundredsofgallonsofneededfreshwaterthatgoestowatering
lawns,whichmaynotbepotable(safetodrink)atthetime,itwouldbeeasiertopurifythansalt
water,andtheamountofmoneysavedwouldbenefitUtahmanytimesover.Howeverthedrastic
changeofsceneryandlifestylethepeopleofUtahmaynotbereadyforassomeplacesarentas
aridandotherareashaveenoughprecipitationtokeepmorethanafewplantsaliveandthriving.
TheCaliforniaapproachmaybetooexpensivetoachieveinthenearfutureoreventhe
farfutureasitwouldinvolvethebuildingofalongerpipelinecomparedtotheColoradoRiver
project,andthecostofbuildingadesalinationplant.Waterconservationhasalwaysbeena
projectedplan,buteithertheresidentsdontconserveenoughwater,orotherstepsneedtobe
takenforUtahtobeabletoavoidthefuturethatCaliforniahascreated.Doweneedthefederal
governmenttotryatleastonelasttimetohelpUtahobtainmorewaterforitsresidents?Whichit
isinterestingthethegovernmenttriedthreetimestohelpwithnoavail.Ordopeopleneedto
stopwateringtheirlawnsentirelyandhavegravelyardswithfewplantsscatteredaround?
Whateversolutionthatischosenneedstobeaseffectiveasthehousingorenergycompanies
projectedplansasthepopulationisexpectedtogrowandnotslowdownanytimesoon.Asthe
futureofUtahanditsresidentsaredependantmoreonwaterthanfuelorpower,thesolutionmay
beassimpleasamoreseverewaterconservationplan,orimportwaterfromtheoceanandthe
ColoradoRivertosustaintheexpectedgrowthofUtah.WhateverthesolutionisforUtah,it


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needstocomequickbeforethestaterunsoutofwater,thecostoflivingskyrocketsandthereal
nightmaresbegin.


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WorksCited

Arel,Dan."CaliforniaWillFighttheDroughtbyTurningSeaWaterintoDrinkingWater."
Sciencealert.com
.29May2015.Web.4Apr.2016.

Gilman,Sarah."UtahVastlyOverstatingFutureWaterShortages."
HighCountryNews
.7May
2015.Web.4Apr.2016.

Heinberg,Richard,andDanielLerch,eds.
ThePostCarbonReaderManagingthe21stCentury's
SustainabilityCrises
.Healdsburg:WatershedMedia,2010.Print.

Osann,E.R.,andD.C.Campbell."TheCentralUtahProjectCompletionAct."
Environment
Mar.1992:23.Print.

"UtahMayFaceWaterShortageasPopulationGrows."
Good4utah.com
.NexstarBroadcasting
Inc.,2Feb.2014.Web.4Apr.2016.