comment: >
  
  
  In a closed-door negotiation last week over the fate of the Colorado River, representatives from California’s powerful water districts proposed modeling what the basin’s future would look like if some of the West’s biggest cities – including Phoenix and Las Vegas – were cut off from the river’s water supply, three people familiar with the talks told CNN.
  
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  Around 90% of Las Vegas’ water is from the river.
  
  Okay, what kind of crack are they smoking?
context: And NY investors are buying up water rights as an investment. >
  
  Yes, lets distract from the larger issue of California growing water hungry cash crops. >
  
  Yeah, golf courses in the desert are a much better use of that water! >
  
  Yeah, the relatively small amount of water saved from not watering golf courses can now be used towards water almonds and pistachio's. Why don't you recommend showering every other day too? >
  
  
  relatively small amount
  
  Have you looked up golf course water usage? >
  
  Lmao bro are you seriously saying golf course usage is on par with what's used by agriculture? >
  
  No.
  But are you seriously saying golf courses are a relatively small amount of water usage? How is 1 million gallons a day, for one golf course, small? >
  
  Time to take water away from the farmers growing shit IN THE DESERT >
  
  On the Internet and in my house I can agree with how stupid it is to grow anything here. Outside and at work I keep my mouth zipped closed because I like having a job working with special needs kids, and the program's principal, (my boss), owns all the almond orchards surrounding the city we live in. 
  Almonds in the desert. They want the rest of us here to suffer. >
  
  Cry me a river >
  
  I have no water to spare for that. We're all dehydrated here. >
  
  So co resident here. We are fine >
  
  Your are fucked and you don't even know it >
  
  How so? >
  
  Sweet summer child... have you not been paying attention? Maybe you love downvotes? >
  
  No water restrictions here in SD >
  
  yeah exactly... that's the problem.. 
  San Diego has high priority for Colorado River water so your lack of restrictions is quite literally cutting off water supplies to other areas >
  
  Bruh just stop trying to grow almonds and barley in the fucking desert, problem solved. >
  
  And alfafa in El Centro. >
  
  That all gets shipped to the Middle East to feed their live stock >
  
  Most does not get shipped to the Middle East. California has the largest dairy industry in America, and those dairy cows are the largest consumer of our alfalfa. >
  
  Taken as a whole, the Arizona alfalfa industry is also similar to California's in the sense that most of their alfalfa stays in America. Alfalfa exports are often used as a scapegoat, but the reality is that the dairy industry uses a lot of alfalfa, and America has a very large dairy industry. >
  
  Common reminders that people don't seem to get.
  Las Vegas and Phoenix both reclaim a large amount of their water
  The fountains in Las Vegas use undrinkable well water from the Casino's land
  LA uses the same water source as Las Vegas but LV reclaims around 90% of their water and LA reclaims around 2%
  Las vegas gained 750,000 people in 20 years, but used 26 billion gallons of water less
  California farmers use as much water is alloted to them (or it will be cut) and often use open air watering systems that lose a lot for evaporation, on top of growing the most wster intensive crops possible, often to carry overseas >
  
  Las Vegas sure, but not Phoenix, we are doing next to no conservation. >
  
  I just moved to Arizona from Canada.  Specifically, I lived in Ottawa where water can be considered limitless.  I was expecting a larger contrast in attitudes toward water consumption, and I have been surprised at the lack of conservation culture here. >
  
  Problem is that you need 3 things to grow crops: wide open spaces, lots of sunshine, and water.  And of those, only 1 can be effectively transported.  
  We could eventually develop better vertical farming systems, and maybe some grow lamps powered by nuke plants, and build it all in a naturally rainy location… but until then, expect the farming to happen where the sunshine and space are. >
  
  California's fertile soil is some of the best in the nation and there are a number of crops we grow there that can't be grown anywhere else.
  Livestock on the other hand consume FAR more water for how much edible product you get and can be raised nearly anywhere in the contiguous 48 states. We ought to ship the cows back to the Midwest >
  
  Or just reduce meat consumption >
  
  Given that beef prices have doubled or tripled in 10 years, that’s kinda making itself happen.