Stephan: I think this article is a little more optimistic than I am, but while we may not agree on the scale of the trends, these are good trends.
Elwha Dam removal in Washington
Credit: www.kimatv.com
Releasing the Rivers
The largest dam-removal project in history reached completion last fall, when excavators dredged the final tons of pulverized concrete from the Elwha River channel in Western Washington. Native fish, banished for 100 years from their historic spawning habitat, already were rediscovering the Elwha’s newly accessible upper stretches. Within weeks of the final explosion in August, threatened bull trout and chinook salmon were spotted migrating beyond the rubble.
“It was a thrill,” said Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes. Before the Elwha Dam was built in 1910, the river produced an estimated 400,000 fingerlings per year, a number that dwindled to 3,000 in recent decades. All five native species of Elwha salmon are expected to repopulate the river.
More than 80,000 dams more than six feet high block U.S. waterways, and activists are cheered by the Elwha success story. Two hydroelectric dams once blocked the Elwha; both now are gone. Sediment that was trapped behind them is washing downstream, replenishing habitat. The […]
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Stephan: Water issues are beginning to pop up more and more, and the story just gets more desperate and alarming. Now you can see why the uber-rich are buying up water resources as fast as they can. Whoever owns the liquid of life will be very powerful. Water is destiny.
Shortages of fresh water for human consumption and farming could reach crisis proportions in just 15 years, with a stunning 40% shortfall in fresh (including drinkable) water by 2030, according to a UN Report released today:
Many underground water reserves are already running low, while rainfall patterns are predicted to become more erratic with climate change. As the world’s population grows to an expected 9 billion by 2050, more groundwater will be needed for farming, industry and personal consumption.The report predicts global water demand will increase 55 percent by 2050, while reserves dwindle. If current usage trends don’t change, the world will have only 60 percent of the water it needs in 2030, it said.
The United Nations World Water Development Report (.pdf here) is a comprehensive review of the condition of the world’s freshwater supplies. Its purpose is to provide those countries with intelligent and forward-thinking leadership the tools necessary to plan for the implementation of sustainable water usage:
The WWDR is targeted to all those involved in the formulation and implementation of water-related policies and investment strategies, […]
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