Glad to see this has Trump's attention.
"Roughly three-quarters of the Colorado River’s flows are used by farmers and ranchers who hold powerful legal rights under the century-old system that governs Western water. That means that during times of shortage, cities and suburbs typically see their supplies cut first while farmers and ranchers can continue their full draws from the waterway."
TJ was touting the century-old system. As we can all see, that system is failing.
"“You can’t fix this by focusing on the conservation efforts of the cities. It’s just not enough water.”
"Still, the river supplies some of the country’s best farmland, producing not just alfalfa, but also vegetables, citrus, lettuce and other crops. Barncastle noted that as more land comes out of production, “it won’t take long for that affordability crisis to hit home for average Americans.”
"Crowley County, Colorado, offers a cautionary tale of what can happen when large amounts of farmland are taken out of production without a plan in place. Farmers in the southeast corner of the state began selling their water rights off to Front Range cities more than a half-century ago. As more and more land went out of production, farm supply stores, railway infrastructure, restaurants and grocery stores closed, too, devastating the region’s tax base. Today, the county seat is little more than a ghost town."
Everyone should understand that this will impact our food supply. Do we move the farmers to areas with more water? I think that will eventually be the solution. If we just force them to retire/repurpose the land, that's going to impact food supplies, and costs at the grocery store.
