WATER WILL SAVE OUR FUTURE

We are running out of water. Sorry, let me rephrase that. We have the water, but we aremisusingit.WaterlevelsinLakeMeadhaverecentlybeenverylowbecausethere is not enough supply of water for the amount of demand that is coming with all the population growth in the West. Lake Mead’s water levels have been so low in the past twenty years that the two water pipes that are in Lake Mead that lead to Las Vegas were just below the surface of the water, so there was need for the construction of a third, bigger pipe that was constructed way deeper down in the lake. There was a question of if the pipe would be done before the water level went below the other two pipes. The project was called “The Third Straw” and was built twentyfeetbelowLakeMead’s‘Deadpool’anditwascompletedin2013.

It was the morning of day two. I had just woken up in my hammock. At first I was confused about where I was, looking up at the towering walls and layers of rock. To the left of me was the kitchen that my campmates and I had set up the day before. To the right, all my classmates and campmates were still resting in their sleeping bags, with the occasional head popping up in the morning light. Every day, I always wash my hands when I wake up. Although, on that day, I wasn’t sure if I should. We had a limited supply of water, with only fourteen water jugs, each holding seven gallons, to share over the span of eight days with ten others. It felt selfish to use up this limited water supply to wash my hands, which I had no real reason to do. I knew if I did my hands would get just as dirty at the end of the day. I decided against washingmyhandsthatmorning.

In order for this issue to be resolved, we have to change our human behavior before we fix anything else. We all have to work together. Realistically, I don’t think most people, if just told to save water, will do it. I have hopes that the government will add some sort of fine when people are overusing their water. A small fine, one that people wouldn’t be super mad at but also one that it is annoying to pay. I also think we should have this fine as a percentage of people’s salary, say 0.5%, which if someone’ssalaryis$50,000,thatwouldbea$250fine.

Some simple things you can do at home: Use less water washing hands, take shorter showers, don’t leave your faucet running for a while, use your dishwasher less, etc. Over my time on the river, whenever I washed my hands, I would open the water valve for a second, cup it in my hands, and wash my hands that way. I know that is a very extreme thing to do, but if our situation worsens,thatmightbewhatwehavetodo.

I made a connection between our situation on the trip and the situation happening with water in the West. We had limited water, in which I had two options. I could either ignore the fact that it was limited, splurge and wash my hands, or I could contribute to the cause and save the water. This is similar to the situation we have with water in the West. As Heather Hansman said, “It’s not that we don’t have enough water. It’s how we are using it” (Personal Communication, May 22, 2023). All of us are guilty of it - even if we don’t know it - of using too much water. I sometimes catch myself leaving the sink on while I'm brushing my teeth. I sometimes take showers for more than five minutes. I know it’s nice to take long showers, but that should be left as an occasional thing, not everyday.

What is 'Deadpool'?

‘Deadpool’ is not what you think. It is not your favorite Marvel Villain. ‘Deadpool’ is a term used to describe when the water level of a reservoir is so low that the water can no longer flow downstream. The current elevation of Lake Mead’s water from sea level is 1,050 feet as of January 8th, 2023. That's twenty-three feet lower than reported at the same point in 2022, and thirty-eight feet lower than levels reported at the same point in 2021. Lake Mead’s ‘deadpool’ is 895 feet. If we continue using our water like we are rightnow,wehavelessthansevenyearsuntilwereachLakeMead’s‘deadpool’.

How can we Solve this?

In order for this issue to be resolved, we have to change our human behavior before we fix anything else. We all have to work together. Realistically, I don’t think most people, if justtoldtosavewater,willdoit.Ihavehopesthatthegovernmentwilladdsomesortof fine when people are overusing their water. A small fine, one that people wouldn’t be super mad at but also one that it is annoying to pay. I also think we should have this fine as a percentage of people’s salary, say 0.5%, which if someone’s salary is $50,000, thatwouldbea$250fine.

IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH, WE MIGHT END UP JUST AS THE ANCESTRAL PUEBLOANS DID.