The week that was, 4/18-24/2010

Posted on | April 25, 2010 | 2 Comments

Alcove, Zion National Park. Photo: Ed Firmage, Jr, the park's photographer in residence. Click on the image for Firmage's website and online presentation "Western Water: The Coming Crisis."

“It was boring! Boring, how could it be anything else? You can’t see out from the bottom of a canyon.” — Federal Bureau of Reclamation Floyd Dominy recounting his raft trip down the Colorado with Sierra Club president David Brower, “Floyd Dominy, the colossus of dams, dies at 100,” High Country News, April 23, 2010

It is simply a matter of time before Lake Powell becomes the world’s largest mud catchment, rendering the 710-foot-tall dam useless. — Colorado River water policy faces an age of limits,” Salt Lake Tribune, April 20, 2010

Drought, in other words, takes on something of the character of the society it keeps. If that society lives on the edge, then drought shows up as the grim reaper. — Commentary by Ed Firmage, Jr, photographer in residence at Zion National Park, “Will we be ready when drought comes to stay?” Salt Lake Tribune, April 23, 2010

“For the last 10 years, it’s just been chasing water.” — Jim Holland, park planner for Lake Mead, “Overton Beach to close Sunday,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, April 24, 2010

“They can’t spell conservation in Salt Lake City.” — Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager Pat Mulroy, NBC Salt Lake City affiliate KSL.com, April 14, 2010*

The projected price of water could be between $15,000 to $20,000 per acre-foot at the high end of the scale. — Aaron Million, “Lower Ark hears pipeline pitch,” Pueblo Chieftan, April 22, 2010

“I will be issuing a directive to our … crews to cease discharging our recycled water into the San Antonio River. After the spanking that the San Antonio Spurs put on Mark Cuban’s Mavericks tonight, Cuban’s tears are enough to keep the flow going down to the Gulf.” — Robert Puente, president and CEO of San Antonio Water System, “A message on water Cuban can take to Dallas,” San Antonio Express-News, April 23, 2010

We flush them down our toilets
We wash ‘em down the drain
We take ‘em when we feel bad
We take ‘em for the pain

Lyrics from “Dope in the water,” Thirsty in Suburbia, April 20, 2010

“We have to be able to gorge and not just sip.” — Chino Basin Watermaster CEO Ken Manning, “New Basin plan places priority on capturing run-off,” Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, April 20, 2010

Most of our tap water is completely safe; most of our bottled water is probably completely safe. — Peter Gleick, “Bottled and Sold: What’s really in our bottled water,” City Brights blog, San Francisco Chronicle, April 17, 2010*

“I don’t see on the horizon the will in our country to fix the municipal systems we have today.” — Nestle Waters’ Kim Jeffery, “CEO defends company at documentary screening,” Connecticut Post, April 23, 2010

“If you have a chance and the deal is right, sell it.” — White Haven, Pennsylvania Mayor John Klem, “Cities wring cash out of utilities; Deals over water, sewage systems plug budget gaps,” USA Today, April 21, 2010

The Disneynature 2010 adaptation of the 2009 French film Oceans was released on Earth Day, April 22. Click on the Asian sheepshead wrasse for the New York Times review.

Mexico City is sinking at between a few inches and six feet a year depending on who you believe. — Mexico City’s water crisis,” Al Jazeera, April 22, 2010

“It’s mathematically impossible to double food production while still using the same percentage of water.” — Mogens Bay of Valmont Industries; Valmont’s founder, Robert Daugherty, donated $50m for a Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska, “NU makes big splash in Water Policy,” Omaha World-Herald, April 21, 2010

*From the previous week. Emily Green is on assignment. ‘The Week that was’ will return as time allows.

Comments

2 Responses to “The week that was, 4/18-24/2010”

  1. David Zetland
    April 25th, 2010 @ 10:14 am

    “If that society lives on the edge” — we always do, as humans. Only caution (and burnt fingers) gives us the wisdom to step back a bit, to allow for problems…

  2. Gayle
    April 26th, 2010 @ 8:57 pm

    Yea, a pleasure to see the reappearance of “The Week that Was”… Obviously, you had the chance and the zeal was right, thanks!

Leave a Reply





  • After the lawn


  • As you were saying: Comments

  • As I was saying: Recent posts

  • Garden blogs


  • Contact

    Emily Green by e-mail at emily.green [at] mac.com
  • Categories