Opinion: Reprinted with permission
By Kristi Diener
Since the 2023 water year began, enough water to meet the needs of 40 million men, women, and children for 5.8 years has surged straight out into the Pacific Ocean. 87.8% of Delta inflow continued through the conveyance waterway, and was allowed to become part of the supposedly rising sea level. Only 12.2% of Mother Nature’s epic Winter soaking has been captured into storage for our next dry spell which is guaranteed to come. The maximum amount of water 40 million people could have saved, if they all cut their use by 15% for a year, is 571,273 acre feet. 40.6 times this amount became part of the sea this water year alone. The only way to turn it back around to “water is for drinking and whiskey is for fighting over”, is by building the reservoir storage that creates water abundance for all water users. Win win win!
sources:
- KRRC Enlisted Powerful Consulting Firm to Navigate Klamath Dam Removal Challenges
- Meeting the Demand: The Essential Role of Current and Future Health Professionals
- Klamath River Project Adult Fish Counting Facility Update – October 11, 2024
- Klamath Basin End of the 2024 Irrigation Season
- CHSRA District 1 Rodeo #2 Full Results: McArthur, CA (October 4-6, 2024)
