Lake Mead’s Future Threatens the Southwest: Tips to Make a Difference
Some disturbing news came out this week about the future of Lake Mead, a man-made lake on the Arizona-Nevada border created by the Hoover Dam. According to researchers, there is a 50% chance that the lake will be dry by 2021, unless we take action now. Even scarier? The 10% chance that this catastrophe will occur within 6 years. OK, I’m officially freaked out.
Why is Lake Mead’s survival so crucial? Courtesy of melting snowpack feeding the Colorado River, the lake supplies 90% of Las Vegas’ water. Yes, you read that correctly: 90%. The Colorado system also meets much of the demand in the rest of the Southwest, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson. Without this source, the current drought experienced in this region will become exponentially worse.
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A post I wrote a few months ago detailing the top three ways that you can conserve water seems particularly salient now: fixing leaks, installing low flow devices, and eating less corn-fed beef will have a big impact. But this new news out of the desert pushes us to go further. So, courtesy of Sustainable Works in Santa Monica, California, here are some additional ways to save one of our most precious resources:
- Change your behavior: take shorter showers, sweep driveways and sidewalks instead of hosing them off, and allow food to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Patronize a commercial car wash that recycles water, or try a water-free alternative like Lucky Earth “Waterless” Car Wash
- Appliances: look for the Energy Star label on dishwashers and washing machines, and only run them when full. Consider a front-loading washer, which use a little over half of the water of traditional top-loaders.
- Landscaping: since an estimated 50% of residential water use occurs outside, plant drought tolerant or native plants, use mulch, and consider installing a drip irrigation system
In summary, every time the water is running, make sure that it is being used efficiently.
What about you? What steps do you take to reduce your water usage?
Photo credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET Networks
See Also:
Planetsave: Las Vegas Ripping Up Lawns to Save Water, But is it Enough?
Planetsave: R.I.P. Lake Mead, U.S. Southwest
[...] growth in the American Southwest is putting tremendous demands on important resources like water, wildlife habitat, and, with the light beaming from the top of Las Vegas’ Luxor Hotel as a [...]
[...] to date.As the country experiences droughts in the Southwest and Southeast and absorbs the news of Lake Mead’s impending demise and pharmaceuticals in our drinking water, we can’t help but think about our water. Of [...]
[...] growth in the American Southwest is putting tremendous demands on important resources like water, wildlife habitat, and, with the light beaming from the top of Las Vegas’ Luxor Hotel as a [...]
[...] Demand Ironically, the aqua blue areas in the map denote water-stressed areas. Areas where water withdrawals are greater than 1.120 billion gallons per day! The Southwestern US is the most water-stressed area [...]