Posted on Jul 17, 2022
A 150-year-old San Luis Valley farm stops growing food to save a shrinking water supply. It might...
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A front-row view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains frames a line of grain silos overlooking a 150-year-old farm in southern Colorado. The fields would usually be green this time of year, grown lush on a supply of millions of gallons of groundwater pumped to the surface.
Now, the fields are brown, cracked and dry.
Farmers and ranchers across the San Luis Valley face a deadline: Their underground water source is drying up from a combination of overuse and a decades-long drought driven by climate change.
Now, the fields are brown, cracked and dry.
Farmers and ranchers across the San Luis Valley face a deadline: Their underground water source is drying up from a combination of overuse and a decades-long drought driven by climate change.
A 150-year-old San Luis Valley farm stops growing food to save a shrinking water supply. It might...
Posted from cpr.org
Farming
Agriculture
Water
Climate Change
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 5
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Simpson said the option of a groundwater conservation easement could help keep that water in the valley. He said other farmers and ranchers have reached out to him about the idea, which would allow them to suspend just a portion of their groundwater use. That would enable them to continue some amount of farming and ranching while getting paid not to use all of their water.
“If we don't come together and work together to manage this more appropriately, we'll look similar to some parts of California where people just keep deepening the well as far as they can,” Simpson said. “And the last one with the most money is the last one left to pump.”
..."Simpson said the option of a groundwater conservation easement could help keep that water in the valley. He said other farmers and ranchers have reached out to him about the idea, which would allow them to suspend just a portion of their groundwater use. That would enable them to continue some amount of farming and ranching while getting paid not to use all of their water.
“If we don't come together and work together to manage this more appropriately, we'll look similar to some parts of California where people just keep deepening the well as far as they can,” Simpson said. “And the last one with the most money is the last one left to pump.”
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Or did they stop Farming because more of that water is being diverted to Mexico to water the growing corporate plantations there? America is so weak, I doubt we could weather the storm. We produce almost no tooling, electronics (defense), rely on foreign population for labor and are increasingly moving our food production to foreign lands. Did we not learn from World War Two, when America was cut-off from much needed resources?
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CW4 Guy Butler
PO1 Sam Deel Since the San Luis valley is in Colorado, I have doubts the water is being diverted. More likely, it’s an area that relies on snow pack runoff to replenish the ground water in the valley.
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PO1 Sam Deel
CW4 Guy Butler - Yes Sir. I mistook it for California. However, what I stated still holds true for the California region.
By the way, Wiki has is it wrong...again.
"The San Luis Valley was ceded to the United States by Mexico following the Mexican–American War. "
the portion of the San Luis Valley North and East of the Big River belonged to The Republic of Texas by treaty with Mexico. The United States of America stripped that land from the Republic to downsize our territory and prevent the Republic, as a State, from having too many Representatives in Congress or access to our gold resources.
By the way, Wiki has is it wrong...again.
"The San Luis Valley was ceded to the United States by Mexico following the Mexican–American War. "
the portion of the San Luis Valley North and East of the Big River belonged to The Republic of Texas by treaty with Mexico. The United States of America stripped that land from the Republic to downsize our territory and prevent the Republic, as a State, from having too many Representatives in Congress or access to our gold resources.
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PO1 Sam Deel
SGM Kenneth Hinckley - Thank you, though this is plain as the nose on anyone's face. Not sure why Americans are so blind to the reality smacking them right in that nose on a daily basis.
I left a huge caveat out to be brought up by those in disbelief. The counter argument has invariably been that produce is seasonal. Even when US produce would be traditionally in season, it is still lacking a place on the produce aisles. There simply is no other cause or excuse for this.
I left a huge caveat out to be brought up by those in disbelief. The counter argument has invariably been that produce is seasonal. Even when US produce would be traditionally in season, it is still lacking a place on the produce aisles. There simply is no other cause or excuse for this.
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Last year, the nation’s corn crop was the lowest in 100 years. This is a disgrace and this year’s crop will be the same.
Too busy growing ethanol corn. Another disgraceful and silly program.
Too busy growing ethanol corn. Another disgraceful and silly program.
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SGM Kenneth Hinckley
I’d just like to know what the mission statement is of the honchos. What’s the end game? What the hell are you (They) thinking?
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