Agricultural practices have led to an irreversible environmental catastrophe Contaminated drinking water (ground water), surface water, climate change, fish,bird, & mammal depletion, human disease 1)Salinity has tripled 2)Volume has decreased by 54% 3)Wetlands have shrunk by 85%

Positive:  Used to control flooding – has killed more than ½ million the last 100 yrs & cost(1998 flood cost $36 billion)  Clean energy (150 million people)  Reduce dependency on coal – will reduce China’s out put of carbon dioxide (Global Warming benefit)

Negatives  Flooding terrestrial land to form reservoir will displace ~1.9 million people  Increase water pollution b/c of reduced river flow  Reduce downward flow of nutrient rich silt

COLORADO RIVER BASIN  There are 14 major rivers on the Colorado River  Water produces 15% of nation’s produce & livestock  Supplies drinking water for more than 25 million people in seven states Problems: Who owns the water rights? Depletion of wildlife who spawn in the river. River doesn’t run into Gulf of CA anymore – can cause salt intrusion into water supplies near the coast.

Some Dam Facts..  96 people died during the construction of Hoover dam - from accidents, CO poisoning, heat stroke ( )  Supplies power to CA, NV, AZ  Lake Mead reservoir provides Las Vegas 88% of it’s water needs  Lake Mead is 80 feet down from drought.

Ogallala Aquifer  One of the world’s largest aquifers – in 8 states  Supplies water to 82% of the people who live in the aquifer boundary  Approximately 30% of the irrigated land in the US is in this boundary