Comments on: The formerly wondrous Colorado River delta

The formerly wondrous Colorado River delta

Brian B. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:45:31 -0800

Behold the Colorado River delta. Home to 400 species of plants and wildlife, it once had beaches of clams, groves of native cottonwood and megatons of shrimp and commercial fish. The wetlands now cover an estimated 5% of its former swath and glory, barely surviving invasive plant species and the massive on-line reservoir fillings of the Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams. Recommendations include restoring this desert estuary that once claimed nearly 3000 square miles. Good luck to the little Vaquita porpoise, the smallest and most endangered cetacean.

By: The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:54:11 -0800

I haven't gone too far into the articles listed, and already I'm excited to find that there is a "Center for the Study of Dead Clams!"

By: paisley henosis

paisley henosis — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:05:53 -0800

I had no idea that North America was home to a freshwater dolphin in modern times. Sad to learn about it now, as it is facing such long odds.

By: Brian B.

Brian B. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:15:21 -0800

It should also be mentioned that there are other invasive plant species besides the tamarisk. Pampas grass is a major water-sucking transplant that infects the entire Colorado river system.

By: [insert clever name here]

[insert clever name here] — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:50:38 -0800

I'm incredibly sad. I went to google images to see more images of the Vaquita, and it turns out that the vast majority of photos we have of them are dead ones. Seems they are so rare that the only time they are seen is when we're reducing their population a little bit more. How depressing.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:37:23 -0800

By: Brian B.

Brian B. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:51:53 -0800

I'm sure there are people who'd like to restore the estuary, but it's not going to happen unless they tear down Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix, and Tucson, and return the Imperial Valley to desert. Because that's where most of the water is going. The delta was never given any water rights. Water managers could increase flows at critical times to help its restoration if it had the plan and mandate to do so. Maintaining gains from recent rain cycles would be the short-term goal, because it's shrinking again apparently.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:17:05 -0800

Water managers could increase flows at critical times to help its restoration if it had the plan and mandate to do so. No, they can't, because that water already belongs to someone else who wants it.

By: Class Goat

Class Goat — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:22:45 -0800

By: the painkiller

the painkiller — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:03:17 -0800

if you want to know more about how the Colorado River (and indeed most of the water rights of the American West) got to be in the shape it's in today, i urge you to read Cadillac Desert. ironically, in many respects the prose is a pretty dry read - but the real story of How The West Was Won is riveting nonetheless.

By: Brian B.

Brian B. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:32:50 -0800

And if you're thinking that the government should seize those water rights, you need to know that water rights are property, just like any other kind of property, and according to the Fifth Amendment the US cannot take away private property without fair compensation. Those water rights are immensely valuable; the price would be huge. Governments own those rights. You almost made it too simple. Also at issue a U.S. promise to desalinate some waste water in Yuma and return it to the delta area. Only a third was delivered in 2003.

By: Brian B.

Brian B. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:34:35 -0800

No, they can't, because that water already belongs to someone else who wants it. Tell it to the states taking more than their alloted share.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:43:52 -0800

Trickle down aquanomics.

By: chance

chance — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:55:41 -0800

It's all so sad.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:53:44 -0800