WEBVTT 00:00:00.370 --> 00:00:02.450 Water is a crucial building block for life, 00:00:02.450 --> 00:00:05.170 for farming, for food, and for showers. 00:00:05.370 --> 00:00:07.510 Often water comes from far away. 00:00:07.742 --> 00:00:10.284 For example, over half of Southern California's water 00:00:10.284 --> 00:00:12.276 is pumped out of the Colorado River. 00:00:12.576 --> 00:00:15.115 It is then transported up and over a mountain range 00:00:15.115 --> 00:00:17.539 to be used in cities and farms 00:00:17.909 --> 00:00:19.997 But as rainfall and temperatures change, 00:00:19.997 --> 00:00:21.971 scientists are seeing a megadrought 00:00:21.971 --> 00:00:23.742 emerging the American West. 00:00:23.742 --> 00:00:25.366 And much of that long-term drought 00:00:25.366 --> 00:00:26.192 is centered right over the Colorado River. 00:00:26.192 --> 00:00:28.614 Which means giant cities like L.A. 00:00:28.614 --> 00:00:30.476 and rural farms alike could see a strain 00:00:30.476 --> 00:00:31.907 on their water supply. 00:00:31.907 --> 00:00:34.680 In this episode, we'll learn why this drought is so bad 00:00:34.680 --> 00:00:36.551 and find out what lessons we can learn 00:00:36.551 --> 00:00:38.856 from people who've lived in the Southwest 00:00:38.856 --> 00:00:40.884 for thousands of years. 00:00:45.464 --> 00:00:46.701 A drainage basin is an area 00:00:46.751 --> 00:00:48.198 where precipitation collects 00:00:48.198 --> 00:00:50.754 and runs into a particular body of water. 00:00:50.754 --> 00:00:52.265 The basin in the Colorado River 00:00:52.265 --> 00:00:54.141 spans seven States and two countries. 00:00:54.141 --> 00:00:56.654 40 million people count on it's water 00:00:56.654 --> 00:00:59.004 but what happens when rivers dry up 00:00:59.004 --> 00:01:01.270 and the water you're counting on doesn't come. 00:01:01.581 --> 00:01:03.218 To understand, I first asked 00:01:03.218 --> 00:01:05.988 water and drought scientist, Brad Udall, what's going on. 00:01:06.216 --> 00:01:09.226 In 2000, a drought began that now 20 years later 00:01:10.338 --> 00:01:12.025 is the most severe drought 00:01:12.504 --> 00:01:14.745 since gauges were installed on the river 00:01:14.818 --> 00:01:17.040 in 1906 in some places. 00:01:17.748 --> 00:01:20.487 The flow is down about 20%. 00:01:20.847 --> 00:01:22.129 Drought is usually defined 00:01:22.129 --> 00:01:24.164 as a period of abnormally low rainfall 00:01:24.164 --> 00:01:25.758 leading to a shortage of water. 00:01:25.758 --> 00:01:28.281 But Brad told me that this drought is a bit different. 00:01:28.281 --> 00:01:30.199 That's because while rain is down, 00:01:30.199 --> 00:01:32.731 that doesn't fully account for the low water levels 00:01:33.342 --> 00:01:35.262 -We now actually have a new term for this 00:01:35.262 --> 00:01:36.453 it's a hot drought. 00:01:36.453 --> 00:01:38.936 So higher temperatures dry out the earth. 00:01:39.341 --> 00:01:41.889 And what we're finding is that higher temperatures 00:01:41.889 --> 00:01:44.410 lead to greater evaporation in all its forms. 00:01:45.236 --> 00:01:49.161 And that evaporation is the cause of this decline in flow. 00:01:49.161 --> 00:01:51.713 - In other words, as temperatures increase over time, 00:01:51.713 --> 00:01:53.367 the process of evaporation 00:01:53.367 --> 00:01:55.401 takes more water away from rivers, lakes 00:01:55.403 --> 00:01:57.076 and snow-capped mountains. 00:01:57.266 --> 00:01:59.102 This helps explain why river flow 00:01:59.102 --> 00:02:01.138 in the Colorado basin is down 20% 00:02:01.138 --> 00:02:03.188 despite precipitation only being down by 5%. 00:02:04.149 --> 00:02:05.584 And droughts do end, 00:02:05.584 --> 00:02:07.673 but according to many scientists 00:02:07.673 --> 00:02:10.463 waiting for rain in this case is probably not a good idea. 00:02:10.715 --> 00:02:12.675 - The term "drought" implies 00:02:12.675 --> 00:02:14.800 some kind of return to normal at some point. 00:02:14.940 --> 00:02:17.273 Drought implies temporary, 00:02:17.335 --> 00:02:19.675 and most scientists nowadays have started talking 00:02:19.675 --> 00:02:22.099 about the aridification of the West, 00:02:22.741 --> 00:02:26.318 meaning a more permanent move to a dry state. 00:02:28.493 --> 00:02:34.373 (car engine roaring) 00:02:35.065 --> 00:02:36.217 - Few people understand 00:02:36.217 --> 00:02:38.502 the threat of drought better than Nancy Caywood. 00:02:38.502 --> 00:02:40.556 She's a fifth generation farmer in Pinal County 00:02:40.556 --> 00:02:42.169 where water either comes from the Colorado River 00:02:42.169 --> 00:02:44.670 through the Central Arizona Project canals 00:02:44.670 --> 00:02:47.241 or from other rivers and canals in the Colorado basin. 00:02:47.437 --> 00:02:49.107 This represents liquid gold. 00:02:49.107 --> 00:02:51.028 This is our water supply right here. 00:02:51.028 --> 00:02:52.896 We take it out, there's a gate right there 00:02:52.896 --> 00:02:54.664 and it goes down a little lateral canal 00:02:54.664 --> 00:02:55.826 that takes it right to our farm. 00:02:55.826 --> 00:02:57.363 I'm gonna open up this gate, 00:02:57.468 --> 00:02:58.839 we have the gate open, 00:02:59.069 --> 00:03:01.861 we'll open four of them, allow the water to flow in. 00:03:04.311 --> 00:03:07.471 We have about 135 acres of alfalfa. 00:03:07.569 --> 00:03:09.840 - This is an example of flood irrigation, 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.263 one of the oldest and most common irrigation methods 00:03:12.263 --> 00:03:14.110 which distributes water over the soil 00:03:14.110 --> 00:03:16.390 by allowing it to flow downhill with gravity. 00:03:16.941 --> 00:03:19.361 There's a beautiful simplicity to it, 00:03:19.361 --> 00:03:22.151 but it's actually the least efficient way to irrigate 00:03:22.151 --> 00:03:24.048 as much of the water either evaporates away 00:03:24.048 --> 00:03:26.805 or seeps into the soil out of reach of the plants' roots. 00:03:27.118 --> 00:03:30.263 And on top of that, alfalfa is a very thirsty crop, 00:03:30.263 --> 00:03:33.184 which means the beef that comes from the cattle it feeds 00:03:33.204 --> 00:03:35.607 is the highest water use food commonly available. 00:03:35.659 --> 00:03:38.165 Drip and sprinkler irrigation can be much more efficient, 00:03:38.165 --> 00:03:40.440 but Nancy told us she's not been able 00:03:40.440 --> 00:03:41.973 to get the permits needed 00:03:41.973 --> 00:03:44.012 to change the irrigation style on the farm. 00:03:44.086 --> 00:03:46.483 And the Caywood alfalfa fields are in good company. 00:03:46.483 --> 00:03:48.717 60% of farmland in the Colorado basin 00:03:49.002 --> 00:03:50.415 is used to grow feed crops. 00:03:50.415 --> 00:03:53.227 Combine all that demand, and here in Pinal County 00:03:53.227 --> 00:03:55.000 is where the drought hits home. 00:03:55.427 --> 00:03:58.602 - The last time the reservoir was full was in 1992. 00:03:58.772 --> 00:04:02.200 One year, we had nothing planted on this farm at all. 00:04:02.284 --> 00:04:04.136 - In 2019 water in Lake Mead, 00:04:04.136 --> 00:04:06.778 the nation's largest reservoir, dropped so low 00:04:06.778 --> 00:04:08.269 it triggered the first cutbacks 00:04:08.269 --> 00:04:10.440 in water allocations ever in the basin. 00:04:10.703 --> 00:04:12.487 Pinal County farmers were the first 00:04:12.487 --> 00:04:13.920 to have their water reduced. 00:04:13.990 --> 00:04:17.315 Fields lay fallow, prepped and ready, but unplanted. 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:19.536 - This is a fallow field 00:04:19.644 --> 00:04:22.161 and we just didn't have enough water to plant it. 00:04:22.161 --> 00:04:22.713 We have 120 acres of fallow land. 00:04:22.713 --> 00:04:23.925 - Good news here is, since about 1980 00:04:23.925 --> 00:04:24.175 American water use has actually gone down. 00:04:24.175 --> 00:04:24.883 Even in growing American cities in the South West, 00:04:24.883 --> 00:04:25.133 total consumption has gone down 00:04:25.133 --> 00:04:25.383 despite pretty big increases in population. 00:04:25.383 --> 00:04:25.633 But worldwide irrigated agriculture 00:04:25.633 --> 00:04:25.883 uses upwards of 70% of water in rivers 00:04:25.883 --> 00:04:26.133 and municipalities use much, much less, 20% or less. 00:04:26.133 --> 00:04:26.383 - That's partially due 00:04:26.383 --> 00:04:26.833 to household water conservation efforts, 00:04:30.133 --> 00:04:30.753 but it's mainly due to the way cities and homes use water. 00:04:30.753 --> 00:04:32.103 When you shower, wash dishes or even flush the toilet, 00:04:33.533 --> 00:04:34.283 that water is treated and returned to surface or groundwater 00:04:34.713 --> 00:04:37.203 rather than evaporating. 00:04:37.203 --> 00:04:40.483 The same goes for some industrial uses. 00:04:40.483 --> 00:06:34.295 But the largest opportunity and challenge 00:06:34.999 --> 00:06:38.999 to reduce water use is in the agricultural sector. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That's because water used for farming 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 either becomes part of the growing plants 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or it's lost to evaporation, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 meaning it doesn't return to the hydrologic cycle 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for a very long time. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Scientists say this is the worst drought in 1200 years, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 but the Hopi you have lived in this area 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for over 2000 years and have grown food through it all. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We met up with Max Taylor, a Hopi Water Resources technician 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to find out if lessons from one of the oldest communities 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the United States can be applied to modern life 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the drying Colorado basin. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - The Hopi's been known to use the least amount of water. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Than people throughout the whole United States, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 it's just because we live in the desert, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 here we are more aware of how much you use. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And so the use is very little. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So we're down at my field. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This is my blue corn, they're planted here. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 All of these are dry farmed. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I don't do any irrigation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And the technique we use is you clear off an area. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You'll dig a hole down about maybe eight to 10 inches deep, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 get maybe eight or 10 kernels of corn 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and toss in there. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The wet moisture that you've taken up, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you push them back in, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 then you cover it with dry soil. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And that's dry farming. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - His garden is planted in a low lying area 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to collect the little moisture that falls each year. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And his crops are extremely adapted to the region. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 They're planted far apart to avoid competition for water, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and they grow very deep roots that tap into groundwater. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Right now we're in September. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 You can still feel a little bit of moisture 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 in the ground, see that? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Not much, but just enough that it's still keeping them going 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Amazingly Max uses seeds for his own farming consumption 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that produces crops in what seems like dust 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 with no irrigation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 He's never watered this field. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We have seeds that are being passed on 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 from generation to generation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So they're adapted to this dry climate. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The corn's been with the Hopi 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 at least several thousand years. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 I think the lesson to learn 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 is that you have to live within your environment. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And I think that's how the natives 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 have survived in these areas because they were sustainable. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And we know this country. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - Shifting towards crops appropriate for 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and adapted to their environment 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 provides a vast opportunity for water conservation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 That shift can happen on farms or in cities 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when we choose to eat foods that need less water to grow. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 On paper, a shift from feed crops and cattle makes sense. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But if we wanna adapt 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to our warming climate in an equitable way, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we can't write off farmers 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 like Nancy and the families 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that have fed us for generations. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We would like to continue farming. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We don't plan on giving up this farm. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 We are looking into alternatives, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we're looking into alternative crops, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 we're looking at water conservation irrigation techniques. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Alfalfa takes seven to nine acre feet 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 of water a year to grow it. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Olives would take about one and a half acre feet of water. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 But if we were to get into say olives, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 there'd be a lot of soil preparation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So it costs us a lot money to get started. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - But the question is, can we come together as a country 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and implement techniques to reduce the strain 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 on our water supply before they're even more shortages? 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 - We need to be ready 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for some really big changes coming at us 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that are frankly outside of our comprehension. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 This is how we make the best out of a bad situation 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and stand by those 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 who end up facing the biggest changes and challenges. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And while we focus 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 on the American Southwest in this episode, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 drought does affect almost every part of the country. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So practicing water conservation 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 as a part of your daily life can help you prepare 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for when water supplies run low in your region. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Some of the most effective things you can do today 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 are not that hard. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 For example, never leave a faucet running 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 when it's not being used, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 like when brushing your teeth or washing dishes. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Make sure to fix leaky faucets 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and choose energy and water efficient appliances. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 If you want to get more involved, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 you can place a brick in the tank of your toilet 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 so it uses less water for each flush, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 or convert your lawn to a beautiful landscape 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 that doesn't need irrigation. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Or even install a rainwater catchment system. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 Of course, there's another thing we can all do, 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and that's to fight 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the underlying cause of this drought, climate change. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 The future of this drought is unwritten 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 and the less warming we create 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 the brighter our water future will be. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 So check out the excellent show, Hot Mess 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 for more ideas about what can be done. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 And of course, subscribe 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 to keep up with all of our episodes of Weathered. 99:59:59.999 --> 99:59:59.999 (soft music)