Faced with a persistent drought and a below-average snowpack, superimposed on our arid climate, those of us who live in the American Southwest need to develop a more realistic approach to our worsening water shortage; indeed, global warming is expected to dramatically accelerate the problem.
This year, Metro Denver has imposed water restrictions, limiting the irrigation of lawns to two days each week. Yet, one wonders why we need to be watering lawns, parks, golf courses and sports fields at all. None of these grassy oases are natural and none are vital to the welfare of human society. While there has been a movement to plant drought tolerant grasses, shrubs and trees, there is no reason to permit unnatural watering of our landscapes; after all, we chose to live in this sunny, dry climate and we should be willing to accept the natural features of our arid ecosystem.
Beyond limited water use and conservation measures, attention must be paid to expanded housing, industrial development and continued population growth in a region that our water resources cannot sustain. While technology, including desalination, may provide some relief, we are destroying natural ecosystems with our boundless diversion of water from the Colorado River and other streams. The time has come to take a more dramatic and realistic approach to this human-induced crisis.
