AURA

Camelot  (lyrics), or the wild west?
A park, or wilderness?
Predictability, or occasional excitement?
Comfort, or adaptation to the unexpected?

As we’ve collectively elected the first and not always easy choice, Camelot, the waters that pass through the southwest are meted out by our agent the Bureau of Reclamation. The law it upholds follows from negotiations between the affected parties, including Mexico. And the Bureau does a good job accounting for water usage, pushing pencil across paper 9 – 5 in the best of business and bureaucratic traditions. Of course they only deal with the water. Being as yet rather primitive, they don’t currently control the weather. But its significance for tourism and natural disasters hasn’t been lost on the strategic planners working for us. So I’m sure they’ll get around to it.

It’s almost unthinkable that something so basic as water is at the mercy of negotiators relative power. The fish, for instance, haven’t even been invited to the table.

But unintended consequences do occasionally present themselves more obtrusively sometimes. Desperado immigration for-example.

Stats in this note’s link called Layperson’s Guide to Arizona Water are typical of the southwest. Arizona cities use only 20% of the water consumed in the state (though two thirds of it is for landscaping). Even industry, the city dweller’s chief occupation, accounts for only 5% (and that’s including mining.) So controlling the water might seem innocent enough to city dwellers. Except that they have to eat: Agriculture accounts for the other 75%.

Coronado nailed it on the head: A river that doesn’t make it to the sea anymore hasn’t got any more to give.