Irrigation

Aerial view of Glen Canyon Dam on Colorado River among red rocks

Calls Grow for ‘One-Dam Solution’ on Colorado River

California growers and others in the river’s Lower Basin want the federal government to consider draining Lake Powell to conserve more water downstream.

September 13, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

potable water fire hydrant

How Most Western Cities Decreased Water Usage While Growing In Population

Regulation and incentivization helped cities in the Western United States keep water usage and population growth on opposite trend lines.

November 2, 2020 - KNAU NPR

Dry Lake in Arizona

Op-Ed: Implications for Phoenix as Lake Mead Runs Dry

Metro Phoenix has a lot to think about as Lake Mead water shortages become ever more likely. A three-state drought contingency plan may only be a temporary fix for a problem that'll divide cities and stakeholders.

October 9, 2018 - azcentral.com

Shasta Lake

Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?

Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Agriculture

There Are Some Major Irrigation Problems We Need to Talk About

We can all do better when it comes to water.

August 8, 2017 - Kayla Matthews

Lawns and Suburban Homes

Let the Lawns Go

According to one Dallas suburbanite, the American lawn is a "decadent and unsustainable totem[s] of middle-class prosperity."

October 6, 2015 - Dallas Observer

Washington D.C. - The White House

America's Largest 'Crop': the Lawn

A NASA study finds that no irrigated vegetation covers more surface in the United States than the collection of lawns that are so important to the American identity.

August 24, 2015 - Fusion

Drought

Worst Droughts in a Millennium Predicted for Western United States

Research uncovers more evidence for possibly decades-long droughts. Climate change is the likely culprit in effects that may challenge infrastructure and agricultural output throughout the century.

February 23, 2015 - Slate

Agriculture Department Releases Five-Year Census Data—'Christmas for Farm Nerds'

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its 2012 Agriculture Census. The census provides data like how much wheat the state of Kansas produced and the average age of U.S. farm operators.

May 6, 2014 - Circle of Blue

Ancient Canals Offer Water Solution for Desert City

The ancient irrigation networks lying below Phoenix could offer a solution to the sprawling desert city's water problems.

March 13, 2011 - Archaeology

Anger Upstream on the Nile

Egypt runs on the Nile's water. But with a growing population, Egypt's Ministry of Irrigation expects that the Nile will barely be able to meet the country's water needs by 2017. Its neighbors are increasingly angry about its overuse.

September 27, 2010 - The New York Times

Irrigation Project Spurs Protests in Peru

A proposed irrigation project near the Incan citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru that would divert water away from small villages has sparked violent protests.

September 22, 2010 - Guardian

NASA Says Agriculture Is Draining Groundwater in California

NASA satellite imagery reveals that two of California's main groundwater sources are being rapidly depleted by agriculture and exurban development.

January 6, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

Watching Water Loss Via Satellite

NASA satellites have tracked the loss of water in California's Central Valley over the past few years, and finds that drought coupled with over-irrigation are stressing the state's supplies.

December 16, 2009 - BBC

Ancient Irrigators

Irrigation canals dating back to the year 1200 B.C. were discovered in Arizona this year, answering a long-asked question about how natives were able to farm the arid land.

December 13, 2009 - Archaeology

Water Woes Hurting California's Farming Towns

California's Central Valley is one of the top agricultural sites in the world, but with low rainfall and cut-off irrigation supplies, farming towns and their citizens may face at least one tough year ahead.

February 25, 2009 - The New York Times

Cities Team Up To Reuse Water

Cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area are working together to save water and use reclaimed water for non-drinking purposes.

January 30, 2009 - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Rethinking California's Irrigation Strategy

Astride the maze of rivers east of San Francisco that crisscross California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta stand two imposing edifices — the pumping stations that supply water to vast swaths of the state. When operating at full throttle, the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant, managed by the state of California, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant, have the capacity to entirely reverse the flow on the delta tributaries upon which they sit.

August 8, 2008 - Miller-McCune

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