Join the Water Conversation

John Cobourn, Area Water Specialist

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. 

In my first blog post, I noted that the Western Governors Association’s (WGA) Drought Forum has urged citizens to join the conversation about drought and water in the West. I plan to contribute to that conversation with blogs on facts and ideas regarding “Water in the Southwest.” Look for this and other materials on www.Livingwithdrought.com and www.unce.unr.edu. 

Some of the numerous topics that we could discuss include watersheds, water supply, ground water, water pollution, floodplain management, water rights, irrigation water, water transfers, etc. While some states are asking people to cut home water use, the dialogue about water needs to be much more comprehensive. Our future depends on it. Water supply shapes how we live and work in our landscapes--see the "before" and "after" photos of the Rye Patch Reservoir, below.  This is a major stock of water from the lower Humboldt River and has not delivered water to irrigators in several years.  

The Conversation needs to be more pervasive than a mere blog. The Western Governors' Association (WGA) says we need “open dialogue and information sharing.” See http://westgov.org/images/2015_Drought_Forum_Report_for_website.pdf for the final report from this year long effort led by Nevada's Governor Brian Sandoval.  People in communities in the southwest should convene forums, write articles, create ballot initiatives and engage public and elected officials in the conversation. In this blog, I will try to add relevant information and to pose questions for communities to ponder.

When people talk about water, they often cite Mark Twain, who quipped that “Whiskey’s for drinking; water’s for fighting over.” In the arid southwest, people sometimes disagree about uses and management of water. Some people have strong opinions and may occasionally become emotional in responding to the statements of others. This is especially true when water shortages have profound effects on rural areas, where agriculture, including cattle ranching, is a major industry and way of life. 

To communicate about something as fundamental and important to all as water, we need to govern our emotions.  We need to strive for a meaningful conversation. That means communicating respectfully and listening closely. We should be hard on problems but easy on people. Discuss your interests and those of others rather than simply sticking to a rigid “position.” In a win-win solution, everybody gets their most important interests met.

Rye Patch Reservoir on the Humboldt River

in 2009, when water stored behind Rye Patch Dam

flowed through the regional network of

irrigation canals.

In short, this blog offers facts, ideas, reports and questions about water issues in the southwest. It can be seen as part of a larger regional conversation. I will rarely evaluate specific products. You do not need to respond to these blog posts. If you do, please be courteous and thoughtful. That way, your ideas will contribute to our understanding and ability to deal with important water issues.

Same view of Rye Patch Reservoir in 2013. 

Water levels in the reservoir were below the spillway,

meaning that farmers downstream received no irrigation water.