Managing Water Diversion from Canada to the United States

Abstract

Water is increasingly a major political issue as scarcity of resource grips several societies, especially in developing countries where agriculture is responsible for about 80 percent of water consumptive use. However, western nations are not immune to water tensions, for instance in Greece, Spain, Italy, or western United States, where available water is being exploited to limit: Colorado no longer reaches sea, and growing debates are emerging as to whether water should be allocated to thirsty cities or to agriculture; whether public funds should be invested again to increase resource or demand management implemented; and whether water could be imported from far away.These questions are increasingly relevant: consumption patterns of water in western US are clearly not sustainable. Given technology available today, massive water transfers could only come from Canada. There have been several mooted projects in this vein, mostly in 1960s and 1970s. Should Canadians worry about water exports to United Sates, especially in frame of NAFTA? Or is climate change going to be decisive factor in debate?THE ADVENT OF WATER ADDICTION IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATESWater is a key ingredient in fabric of western American society, as has been well studied by Donald Worster.1 west is not completely waterscarce, for several mighty rivers flow in region, mainly fed by snow and glaciers from Rockies; but it definitely is a semi-arid region, compelling all societies living there before industrial revolution to adapt to water scarcity. Early 20th century American society, empowered by industrial age, decided to harness rivers and aquifers. Technology enabled American society to eliminate water scarcity burden and developed illusion that technology would always bring about a solution to growing water needs. What nature does not yield freely, humanity should refashion to better suit human needs.... Nature has no greater purpose than to serve Man, and Man has no greater purpose than to work land and take his place in productive cycle.2 Wendy Nelson Espeland also clearly depicted representation that developed at time that all water flowing unused to ocean was a wasted resource, and that rivers needed to be tamed and harnessed to be put to use. President Franklin Roosevelt declared in 1935, when inaugurating Boulder Dam, that the mighty waters of Colorado were running unused to sea. Today we translate them into a great national possession.2This idea is still very much alive today. Much of contemporary culture of American Southwest is based on denying its desertness.... In a subdivision being built to south [of Las Vegas], Paseo Verde Parkway and Val Verde Road intersect in Green Valley Ranch. concept of green, like sod lawns, was an imported fantasy.4 Technology can make up for water scarcity and water must be used so as to develop western resources: The rural Western ethic is that all wealth comes out of ground, either as grass growing or as minerals being mined.... So fact that today's reclamation projects-such as Garrison, CUP, Animas-La Plata-cost a few million dollars for each farmer they put on land, doesn't cause their proponents to blink. That, they say, is price society pays for creating stuff of wealth. Without it and other industries based on earth, there is nothing.5EARLY MASSIVE WATER TRANSFER PROJECTSMassive water transfers were first built in eastern United States in 1847 with Croton aqueduct for New York City and 1900 Chicago diversion. As early as 1906, water transfers began being built in west, with a 46 km-long canal from St. Mary River in Montana to Milk River, triggering a severe dispute with Canada that forced United States to negotiate 1909 boundary waters treaty. Other projects soon followed: Los Angeles aqueduct in 1913, Hetch Hetchy water supply (1934), Colorado River aqueduct (1941), Ail-American Canal (1942), and California central valley project (1951). …