Here is an NPR story about the Australian model for conservation and trading water stocks!
How Precious is Water? Just ask the Navajo Water Lady or contact me!
Here is an amazing CBS news story about the struggles of the Navajo People who rely totally on groundwater. No running water and indoor plumbing. They must store water outside. Luckily many Navajo people have a saintly woman to deliver water they call the Water Lady.
Can you imagine what life must be like relying on only 7 gallons of water per day? That is like only flushing a standard toilet twice per day. That's it - all you get for drinking, cooking, washing, etc!
Click here to see the full story!
When I worked for the U.S. Geological Survey on the Navajo Reservation conducting surveys of water resources, we found that groundwater was in very deep formations and the quality of water changed depending upon location. Water is very precious - especially on the reservation!
For more information on the water quality of San Juan Basin aquifers, check out some of my old USGS reports (there are over a dozen) or contact me at info@conserve-prosper.com.
Geochemistry of the San Juan Basin
Conservation "Shade" Balls added to protect Los Angeles reservoirs
Yesterday, Los Angeles completed a $36 million project to deploy 96 million plastic balls on a reservior to conserve water and protect water quality. Estimates are that the balls will save 300 million gallons per year and comply with new EPA standards for preventing sunlight reacting with chlorine in drinking water that produces carcinogens.
Here are some news clips:
Will Mesa County comply or fight the Colorado Water Plan?
The Colorado Water Plan proposes a reduction of 400,000 acre-feet of water by the year 2050. In the more familiar terms of gallons, 1 acre-foot of water equals 325,851 gallons; therefore, 400,000 acre-feet equals 130 billion gallons!
How can Coloradans save this much water in the future as one of the fastest growing states (recall they legalized pot sales) and climate change makes for more extreme weather conditions including severe droughts?
To save this much water Colorado would need to reduce the population, based on my calculations, by over 3 million people! So the fight will be over water for people vs. Mesa County agriculture - we have prolific orchards for grapes, peaches, and many other fruits.
This blog is promoting active conservation as does the Colorado Water Plan. Mesa County does encourage voluntary dry landscaping in land use planning. However, in my opinion we need to have much more conversation statewide on how we are going to meet the needs of the state and downstream users.
Do you want to save money on electricity bills?
There are many ways to save money on electricity bills. The simplest and most important thing we can do is replace the central air filters often. Are you using Energy Star appliances and LED lighting?
In our area of the Redlands, Colorado, people like to see the night sky and many people make an effort to turn off lights at night. Not only can we see the stars, we are also saving money and helping to reduce pollution from electric generation!
An energy audit to find where hot or cold air is being lost is available to homes and businesses, so give us a call to find out how you can save money at Conserve & Pro$per LLC (970-260-8915).
Open comment period on Colorado Water Plan until September 17th
The Colorado Water Plan is open for public comment for about six (6) more weeks. Here a brief description provided by the Colorado Water Conservation Board:
People love Colorado: our population ballooned from 1 million in 1930, to over 5 million today, and is projected to grow even faster in the future. So how do we ensure that we are able to preserve what we know and love about our state alongside population growth? When it comes to our water, Colorado’s Water Plan has answers. This plan offers a strategic vision: a productive economy that supports vibrant and sustainable cities, productive agriculture, a strong environment, and a robust recreation industry. How can we achieve this vision for Colorado water? This plan provides the strategies, policies, and actions by which Colorado can address its projected future needs in a manner consistent with this vision. This plan will be accomplished through collaboration with basin roundtables, local governments, water providers, and other stakeholders. It represents a set of collaboratively developed policies and actions that all Coloradans and their elected officials can support and to which they can adhere.
Not only is Colorado River water in great demand in the western U.S., there are statewide conflicts between the East Slope (including the Denver area) and the West Slope (including Grand Junction). Currently, over a half a million acre-feet of water is diverted each year from the West Slope to go to the East Slope according to news reports. Future diversions will need to increase as the population is booming in the Denver area which will continue to put more pressure on West Slope to conserve.
In my opinion, rather than West Slope supporters demanding that no more water be provided to East Slope users, which will be a losing battle due to voter populations, the entire state needs to adopt strict conservation measures taken by many other cities. For example, the tremendous waste of water in the West Slope is astounding to me after having lived in Las Vegas. Here is an updated video taken at the same location as shown on the July 17th blog where the mortuary business watered grass during a rain storm! I've also noticed they routinely water at 9:30 am and 5:00 pm. By contrast, the City of Grand Junction Parks and Recreation sets irrigation to occur between 10 pm and 6 am to limit loss by evapotranspiration and growth of disease. Rain moisture sensors are used to obtain the proper amount of irrigation water. So far, the business has not responded to my email offering them free advice on proper irrigation techniques.
Today's paper says 'Colorado is out of the drought' -- so does that mean we have plenty of water to waste?
Today's newspaper in Grand Junction, Colorado front page headlines:
"State out of drought, experts say
Wet weather won't last meteorologists reminds us"
Despite the headlines, the local water managers say, "...in a desert, water is gold and that's still true, drought or no drought..."
Look for yourself how some people treat this precious resource - I caught this video this morning at of all places, I kid you not, a mortuary! Look how the water is spraying around onto the pavement and into the air to evaporate. One problem is overpressurized sprayers in an attempt to cover such a large area of grass. Here are some great tips to correct irrigation problems from the Alliance of Water Efficiency.
"Are ya takin' a Submarine shower or a Hollywood shower?"
Growing up my Dad would tell us kids if he heard the shower running for more than a minute, "Are you taking a Submarine shower or a Hollywood shower?" He spent his career in the Navy so he knew all about taking quick showers. He would tell us to get wet, turn the shower off, lather up, and rinse. I think the record time for the family was 30 seconds of water use. Usually we felt good to get a minute in the shower. Now a Hollywood shower obviously lasted longer - 2 or 5 minutes. So there is an immediate savings in time for people on the go but how much money can you save by conserving heated water? As water rates continue to rise faster than inflation: save water, time, and money!
Test your shower flow rate - at our house the shower allows about 6 liters/minute or 1.6 gallons/minute of water to flow out. So a 1 minute shower per day uses this amount but doing the math for a month (48 gallons) or a year (584 gallons) per person really adds up. Likewise a 5 minute shower would use about 240 gallons/month and 2,885 gallons/year for each person in our family.
EPA recommends to buy shower heads with the WaterSense label that use less than 2 gpm.
Here is information from the EPA website:
Water–Efficient Showerheads
Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use—for the average family, that adds up to nearly 40 gallons per day. That’s nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water used in the United States annually just for showering, or enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year!
WaterSense Savings
The average family could save 2,900 gallons per year by installing WaterSense labeled showerheads. Since these water savings will reduce demands on water heaters, they will also save energy. In fact, the average family could save more than 370 kilowatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power a house for 13 days.
On a national scale, if every home in the United States installed WaterSense labeled showerheads, we could save more than $2.2 billion in water utility bills and more than 260 billion gallons of water annually. In addition, we could avoid about $2.6 billion in energy costs for heating water.
Baseball manager wants rain to go away - Tell him "Rain is a Good Thing!" 50-50 chance of rain for the 2015 All Star Game in Cincinnati!
The 2015 All Star baseball game will be held in Cincinnati tomorrow night. I read that there is a 50% chance of rain for the game. If it does rain, will people cheer or complain? Perhaps it is understandable that some people do not like rain delays, but in the spirit of our "National Past Time" representing all of the United States (or perhaps the World), let's think about all the places where rain is needed and sing "Rain is a Good Thing."
Several major league baseball teams are taking steps to conserve water due to the drought.
Here in Grand Junction, Colorado, the general manager of the GJ Rockies - a rookie team of the Colorado Rockies, is complaining about the rain! Although we've received about 7 inches of rain so far this year (only 2.5 inches more than normal), the story in the paper this weekend was:
Rain, rain go away: Wet weather postpones another GJ Rockies game
According to The Daily Sentinel, rain postponed GJ Rockies games three days in a row. But the teams made the best of of it, "with card games, music, and even a little dancing in the clubhouse."
At the All Star Game, can we make a request for hearing the hit song:
"Rain is a good thing” by Luke Bryan
Which is the Most Endangered River in America?
Of all the rivers to choose from in America, can you guess which one is the most in danger of running dry? Here is a hint, it currently flows through nine (9) National Parks. Let National Geographic show you how and where this mighty river is drying up. For us in the arid west, we all can all help by conserving water: taking shorter showers and installing drip irrigation with native plants. Conservation Colorado and other groups have many activities and events to join.
CBS news reports that not only is this river drying up in America, groundwater depletion is occurring at an alarming rate - an estimated thirteen (13) trillion gallons in a decade. Obviously this is not sustainable.
Does this river make it to the ocean? No, not in the past 50 years - see what affect this is having on the people and the environment as documented by Alexandra Cousteau in a short film Death of a River. She says it would only take increasing the river flow by 1% to enable the river to return to the ocean.
The Nature Conservancy partnered with government scientists to conduct a pulse flow experiment to return water flow to this endangered River!
In future blogs, let's explore how we can contribute to the campaign of returning rivers to the ocean! Contact us at ConserveProsper@gmail.com to find out how we can join together to take action now.
Having a blast while it lasts
This boy is getting drenched by sprinklers while jumping on a trampoline.
Will Las Vegas run out of water?
While the demand for water increases and supply decreases due to droughts and other causes in the Colorado River basin, Las Vegas is a model for water recycling that many other cities will need to follow in the future. Water recycling is a process to collect and treat waste water that is returned to Lake Mead. The lake supplies 90 percent of the valley’s water and is in critical condition due to 15 years of drought dropping the lake to 38 percent of capacity.
So to help make sure Vegas can continue to quench it's thirst, the Southern Nevada Water District proposes to build a 250-mile pipeline from rural northern Nevada to claim groundwater from the Spring Valley. Efforts to take water from Utah farmers were thwarted.
So it's a very safe bet that Vegas will have adequate water supply but prices will continue to rise. You get billed for every gallon of water you use so think about shutting off the water while you brush your teeth. It’ll save you some money!
Drought in western U.S. affecting 58 million people! Where are we on the Hydro-Illogical Cycle?
© National Drought Mitigation Center
Western U.S. Drought Map and Hydro-Illogical Cycle
According to the National Drought Mitigation Center: "drought is a protracted period of deficient precipitation resulting in extensive damage to crops, resulting in loss of yield." The current drought will affect over 58 million people directly: "Record heat and dryness over the region this week as well as over the last month has quickly deteriorated conditions in many areas after a wet May."
As the map clearly shows, California -- which seems to be getting most of the media attention -- is not the only state where the effects of the drought are being felt.
The Hydro-Illogical Cycle depicts drought as a slow-moving natural disaster which may not get much attention until extreme conditions cannot be ignored any longer.
The Water Cycle and Why We Must Conserve
Nature's water cycle is very important to understand and is being broken due to many causes which we will explore in future blogs.
Grass is Dead - What to do? Don't paint the dirt green! Plant Lavender or other native plants.
How do you feel about people painting their dirt green? I've got to see this to believe it -- check out this Wall Street Journal article.
So where does this painted dirt go when it does rain - out to ocean or San Francisco Bay?
In Grand Junction, we love lavender - the wonderful aroma, calming essential oil, and we even have lavender ice cream which is delicious and meditative!
Here are some links to the upcoming festival and how to grow lavender:
5th Annual Lavender Festival of Western Colorado on July 10-12, 2015
Save on watering plants for less than $10
The most common problem with irrigation is adding too much or too little water. How often and how much do I need to water indoor and outdoor plants? I used to use the touch method and if the soil felt dry then I would water or tried to water on a regular schedule. Going on vacation, I came home to find our houseplants were over watered and nearly died! So now we've discovered soil moisture meters. Several companies sell meters that you stick in the soil which measures moisture content. The ETEKCITY soil water monitor currently sells for $8.99 with no charge for shipping by ordering from their website. Be careful when sticking the probe into hard ground -- use a screwdriver first to loosen the soil so the meter does not break. This 5-year old boy loves making measurements of soil moisture and growing native plants!
How did we select the organization name of "Conserve & Pro$per LLC?"
Recall in the Star Trek TV series Mr. Spock frequently said "Live Long and Prosper!" In honor of Leonard Nimoy who passed away this February, we can always remember him and the millions of fans by thinking about ways we can possess long and fulfilling lives.
To live long lives for ourselves and future generations we must be aware of our situation. How far will we get if we run out of gasoline, food, water, money - you name it? Some people act like all the world's "renewable" resources are infinite. For example, many groundwater supplies in North America were created over 15,000 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. This water came from glacial snow melt and is very pure quality. However, many groundwater resources using deep wells are being used up so quickly in just a few decades. So even though groundwater is considered a "renewable" resource can it take very long to recharge. Most desert environments are not gaining but are losing water.
So the goal of Conserve & Pro$per is to share information to other educators, businesses, homeowners, etc. that we can improve our balance with nature by being more aware of our situation. Most utilities promote conservation by progressively charging higher rates as we use more resources. Here in Grand Junction, we pay $20 per month to use up to 3000 gallons of drinking water. The charge for using more water costs an extra $3.70 per 1000 gallons. We typically use about 3000 gallons per month during the winter and double that during the summer growing season to water plants using a drip irrigation system. People who need to grow grass will need over 30,000 gallons per month costing about $140 or more.
The water rates are very low in Colorado as compared to other western states and we see lots of people watering on grass and streets. Let's work together to find solutions to our common problems. Contact us to learn more.
Memorial Day weekend launching Conserve & Pro$per LLC website!
This Memorial Day weekend 2015, we are again celebrating all those heroes who fought for our freedom! But is our freedom truly sustainable if we lack the basic necessities of water, food, and shelter? The purpose of this website being started today is to share my 30+ years of experience working in the environmental science field. I aspire to inform and share ideas on how we can all live on planet Earth by conserving precious resources, eating healthier food, breathing cleaner air, and creating a smaller footprint. Our initial area of focus due to the world-wide water crisis of severe droughts and catastrophic floods is on providing consulting advice and educational outreach to people and communities.
Founder's childhood influenced by health issues, pollution, and Chief Seattle.
When I was a little boy growing up in the 1960's in northern Virginia, the air and water were very polluted. Having asthma, I struggled to breath and wondered why anyone would smoke or burn leaves and trash as was commonly done. There were Red Alert days when I could not go outside due to the poor air quality. The Potomac River was an open sewer -- with all the dead fish we could not enjoy walking by or swimming in the water. A physical and moral brown cloud hung over our Nation's Capitol.
In the early 1970's, a very powerful commercial - a public service announcement - was broadcast to promote Keep America Beautiful. The Native American who appeared in the spot was Iron Eyes Cody but many recall him crying when he saw sickening pollution. . Here is a link to the PSA. His powerful message greatly affected me and helped me initiate a career in environmental science.
CHIEF SEATTLE (MORE CORRECTLY KNOWN AS SEATHL) WAS A SUSQUAMISH CHIEF WHO LIVED ON THE ISLANDS OF THE PUGET SOUND. AS A YOUNG WARRIER, CHIEF SEATTLE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS COURAGE, DARING AND LEADERSHIP. HE GAINED CONTROL OF SIX OF THE LOCAL TRIBES AND CONTINUED THE FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH THE LOCAL WHITES THAT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED BY HIS FATHER. HIS NOW FAMOUS SPEECH WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN DECEMBER, 1854.
THERE ARE SEVERAL VERSIONS OF HIS LETTER; THE FOLLOWING WAS PROVIDED BY Cal State University at Northridge.
“The President in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. But how can you buy of sell the sky? The Land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of the earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every meadow, every humming insect. All are holy in the memory and experience of my people.
We know the sap which courses through the trees as we know the blood that courses through our veins. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters. The bear, the deer, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the dew in the meadow, the body heat of the pony, and man all belong to the same family.
The shining water that moves in the streams and rivers is not just water, but the blood of our ancestors. If we sell you our land, you must remember that it is sacred. Each glossy reflection in the clear waters of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father.
The rivers are our brothers. They quench our thirst. They carry our canoes and feed our children. So you must give the rivers the kindness that you would give any brother.
If we sell you our land, remember that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life that it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also received his last sigh. The wind also gives our children the spirit of life. So if we sell our land, you must keep it apart and sacred, as a place where man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow flowers.
Will you teach your children what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls the earth befalls all the sons of the earth.
This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.
One thing we know: our God is also your God. The earth is precious to him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its creator.
Your destiny is a mystery to us. What will happen when the buffalo are all slaughtered? The wild horses tamed? What will happen when the secret corners of the forest are heavy with the scent of many men and the view of the ripe hills is blotted with talking wires? Where will the thicket be? Gone! Where will the eagle be? Gone! And what is to say goodbye to the swift pony and then hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival.
When the last red man has vanished with this wilderness, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, will these shores and forests still be here? Will there be any of the spirit of my people left?
We love this earth as a newborn loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell you our land, love it as we have loved it. Care for it, as we have cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you receive it. Preserve the land for all children, and love it, as God loves us.
As we are part of the land, you too are part of the land. This earth is precious to us. It is also precious to you.
One thing we know - there is only one God. No man, be he Red man or White man, can be apart. We ARE all brothers after all."
Slow the "F" Down
On Memorial Day, in a nearby neighborhood of Apex, North Carolina, a 10-year old boy died when hit by a car. The boy was riding on his scooter by his home and perhaps the driver of the car was going too fast - the cause of the accident is still under investigation. The NHTSA.gov reports that in 2021 speeding killed 12,330 people in the United States.
This morning I was reminded of this accident while walking our dog on the sidewalk and a car came speeding past me. The street in our neighborhood is narrow with parked cars on one side of the road. As the speeding car flew by just a few feet away from me, I guess going at least 40 mph in the 25 mph speed limit, I waved my arm to slow down. The driver slowed and then stopped and backed up to see what happened. I asked, “do you know how fast your were going?” The driver replied no and said he was not paying attention. “You were going at least 40 mph and we have kids on scooters riding around here too.” The man apologized and I felt grateful he seemed receptive to my concerns and did not get angry.
The chart from NTSB shows that pedestrian fatalities increase with speed - just an increase from 20 mph to 30 mph increases deaths by 40% and getting hit by a car going 40 mph you only have a 15% chance of survival! Several years ago a friend of mine lost his wife- a school teacher and mother - when she got hit and run over in a supermarket parking lot — the car only traveled about 5 mph!
Our neighborhood obtained from the Apex Police Department a traffic speed monitor to remind drivers how fast they are traveling. The monitor functioned for about two weeks close to the location of the speeding car and then we recently requested moving it to a parallel street. Another neighbor mentioned the monitor slows most cars down but some of the teenage drivers like to test how fast they can cruise by the digital sign.
Another reason to slow down is the faster you drive the more money you’ll spend. Gas milage efficiency generally decreases rapidly at speeds above 50 mph. According to Fuel Economy.gov, you can assume that for each 5 mph you drive over 50 mph on the highway is like paying an additional $0.25 per gallon of gas. So on the many local highways with 70 mph speed limits, people are typically driving 80 mpg costing an extra $3.00 per gallon of gas.
Conserve your speed to save lives, money, and so much more!