Tornado Alley (PROG)

[DesertDrifter]

it's not like folks haven't been able to see what's been happening -- . . .

I have to expand on that. The ranchers are fully aware of it, but generally figure they can deal with it, so far. A very high percentage of them are 4th and 5th generation ranchers... the feeling is that if a challenge comes up, they will figure out a way to cope... such as changing crops.

The soil conservation service had a program where if the ranchers turned in their water-inefficient irrigation wheel lines, they would give them $30,000 pivot sytems that use less water. But the result was that they then grew crops that need more water.

A few years ago, an eldery couple moved here from Carmel (southern california coast, clint eastwood country) and started a monthly newspaper that has taken ground water conservation as their cause. They pretty much have been silenced, as it is pretty hard to tell a cowboy that he can't use his well water. And being objective, i can't really think of a credible reason why not. Drinking water here is mostly derived from fresh mountain stream water, and most of us tucked up next to the mountains have our own wells that are recharged from those streams.

The use of fossil water in a basin with no outlet is a diminishing resource, to be sure.... but to me it is no more alarming than pumping fossil oil out of the ground.