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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 31 January 2023
In the West, pressure to count water lost to evaporation

By SUMAN NAISHADHAM Colorado River Board of
Associated Press California, said any other
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ex- approach could “face
posed to the beating sun considerable legal and
and hot dry air, more than technical challenges.”
10% of the water carried by For Arizona, that could
the Colorado River evapo- mean shouldering losses
rates, leaks or spills as the so significant that some ex-
1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) perts say the drinking water
powerhouse of the West supply for Phoenix could
flows through the region’s be threatened due to di-
dams, reservoirs and open- minished deliveries to the
air canals. the Central Arizona Project,
For decades, key stewards the 336-mile (541-kilome-
of the river have ignored ter) aqueduct system that
the massive water loss, in- delivers Colorado River wa-
stead allocating Arizona, ter to that metro area and
California, Nevada and Tucson.
Mexico their share of the Under Nevada’s plan, Cali-
river without subtracting fornia would pay a steep
what’s evaporated. price. In addition to using
But the 10% can no longer more water from the river
be ignored, hydrologists, than any other state, its wa-
state officials and other Water flows down the Colorado River downriver from Hoover Dam in northwest Arizona, on Aug. ter travels some of the lon-
western water experts say. 14, 2022, near the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Associated Press gest distances. California’s
The West’s multi-decade Imperial Irrigation District,
drought has sent water lev- ready take into account ration, transportation and agrees. Officials there have the single largest of all users
els in key reservoirs along evaporation losses. inefficiencies each year in said Nevada’s plan would of Colorado River water,
the river to unprecedented Now with a looming federal Arizona, Nevada and Cali- likely run afoul of western would lose about 19% of
lows. Officials from Nevada deadline for Colorado Riv- fornia. That’s 50% more than water law. California has its share. The region grows
and Arizona say that they, er basin states to say how Utah uses in a whole year. rights to the largest share of many of the nation’s win-
together with California, they’ll use at least 15% less Nevada and Arizona could Colorado River water. Just ter vegetables and alfalfa,
now need to account for water from the river, there’s be on board with this plan. as important, in times of and Imperial has said it dis-
how much water is actually renewed urgency for Arizo- Nevada stands to lose the shortage, water cuts come agrees with issuing water
in the river. na, California and Nevada least under this plan since later than for other users, cuts according to evapo-
The challenge is in finding a to factor in what’s lost to Lake Mead — the man- based on the so-called rative losses at all.
method that California also evaporation. made reservoir from which Law of the River, a series of Tina Shields, water man-
agrees to. One proposal comes from Arizona, Nevada, Califor- overlapping agreements, ager for Imperial Irrigation
“It’s very hard to get con- Nevada: States at the nia and Mexico draw water court decisions and con- District, said Arizona and
sensus,” said Sarah Porter, end of the river would see — sits in its backyard. tracts that determine how Nevada — whose water
director of the Kyl Center their Colorado River por- Tom Buschatzke, director the river is shared. Its senior rights are more junior than
for Water Policy at Arizona tion shrink based on the of Arizona’s Department water rights mean it has California’s — were ad-
State University. She thinks distance it travels to reach of Water Resources, called been spared from cuts so vocating for the Southern
it’s unlikely that states will users. The farther south the Nevada’s proposal fair. far. Nevada Water Author-
reach an agreement on river travels, the more wa- “Calculating the losses as California water manag- ity’s plan because it would
their own, without federal ter is lost as temperatures Nevada has proposed is ers have said evaporation benefit them to share the
intervention. rise and water is exposed probably the most equita- and system losses should losses.
Unlike Arizona, California, to the elements for longer. ble and matches the real, be accounted for based “When you have a junior,
Nevada and Mexico, the The Southern Nevada Wa- physical world,” Buschatzke on this existing system. In a right, that’s what you do,”
upriver or Upper Basin states ter Authority estimates that said. “The further you are, December letter to federal Shields said. “You try to
— Colorado, New Mexico, roughly 1.5 million acre-feet the more the losses are.” officials, Christopher Harris, share the problem with oth-
Utah, and Wyoming — al- of water are lost to evapo- But crucially, California dis- executive director of the er users.”q

West Virginia advances school mandate on ‘In God We Trust’

By LEAH WILLINGHAM speaking on the Senate floor. “Maybe they’ll Similar laws have been passed in Texas, Ken-
Associated Press look up one day and say, ‘In God We Trust’ tucky, Louisiana, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Public schools in and know they can put their hope in God.” and several other states. Mississippi was the
West Virginia may soon be required to display The bill is now heading to the West Virginia first state to pass a law mandating “In God We
the phrase “In God We Trust” in every building House of Delegates. It requires public K-12 Trust” be displayed in public schools back in
if a bill passed by the state Senate on Monday schools and public institutions of higher learn- 2001. Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower
becomes law. ing to display the official U.S. national motto signed a law making “In God We Trust” the
The bill was introduced by Republican Sen. on durable posters or in frames placed in a official U.S. national motto July 30, 1956, two
Mike Azinger, who said he wants to give kids in “conspicuous place” in each building. years after pushing to have the phrase “under
schools something to look up to and let them The displays must also contain images of the God” inserted into the Pledge of Allegiance.
know it’s OK to “say God” in school. U.S. national and state flags but can’t depict “It was adopted during a time of disunity in
“We know there’s a lot of kids that have prob- any other words, images or information. They America, at a time that unity was needed,”
lems at home, tough times at home that we must be either be donated or purchased from Azinger said Monday. “And I think that’s where
don’t know anything about,” Azinger said, private donations. we are in America in many ways.”q