Subscribe now

Comment Environment

We can't engineer our way out of the water crisis in the Southwest US

Ever since Arizona was first colonised, politicians and entrepeneurs have sold residents the idea that human ingenuity can craft a solution to water shortfalls. It can't, argues Natalie Koch

By Natalie Koch

1 March 2023

New Scientist Default Image

Michelle D’urbano

SEVEN states in the Southwest US are legally allowed to take water from the Colorado river: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. But with the once-mighty river now running at historic lows, the states were given a federal deadline to voluntarily agree to dramatic cuts in their use. On 31 January, they missed it. Meanwhile, the low river flow has already slashed the power output of the iconic Hoover dam – once able to produce 2080 megawatts of hydropower, its generation has been cut in half as of June 2022.

Overuse and climate change have reduced …

Article amended on 10 March 2023

We clarified the former output of the Hoover dam.

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

View introductory offers

No commitment, cancel anytime*

Offer ends 14th June 2023.

*Cancel anytime within 14 days of payment to receive a refund on unserved issues.

Inclusive of applicable taxes (VAT)

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account

More from New Scientist

Explore the latest news, articles and features

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

1

Chaotically shifting planets could be a sign of advanced aliens

2

The mental tricks you can use in your lifelong pursuit of happiness

3

Astronomers have spotted the biggest cosmic explosion ever seen

4

Mysterious sounds in stratosphere can't be traced to any known source

5

We now know how parasitic worms help ward off obesity and diabetes

6

Robot injected in the skull spreads its tentacles to monitor the brain

7

Lab-grown meat could be 25 times worse for the climate than beef

8

Superconducting qubits have passed a key quantum test

9

Which countries will do well at Eurovision 2023 – according to science

10

Why the causes of poor mental health may share a common root