Whether you accept the overwhelming evidence of climate change or not, it is clear that severe drought has been expanding in the American West while water consumption continues to increase. The falling levels of Lake Powell and Lake Mead and the diminished snowpack in western mountain ranges offer convincing signs of a looming disaster.
Yet, Western cities continue to sprawl as Americans are drawn to the sunny, dry weather and mountain landscapes. Focused on their tax revenue, city governments encourage companies to relocate to their community and permit the "development" of open space to provide the industrial, retail and residential support for their growing economies. Of course, parks, golf courses and other public amenities only add to the water use.
Efforts to combat climate change, now heavily politicized, are vital to addressing the water shortage but limitations on water consumption are equally important. Growth and development are exceeding the water resources and must be curtailed before both natural ecosystems and human communities begin to fail.
