Have you ever wondered how much global warming can do? The lakes and rivers in the west are drying up quickly. If there is ever a water shortage in my area, I would want some form of government or organization that could install preventative measures. I wouldn’t want to have a solution in place too late. If this problem was solved, it would mean that the likelihood of something bad happening related to a water shortage would be much lower. This would make me feel a lot better. I believe water shortages in the United States create challenges. There is not enough water for everyone, which can cause a multitude of problems, like not having enough water for drinking, hydropower, and cleaning. Therefore, the government should create a plan to solve problems like this in the future. This would include local government and a higher level if it gets too serious.
According to NASA, Lake Mead’s water levels are the lowest since 1937. As of July 2022, it is at about 27% of its capacity. This means that something is being done wrong that maybe we can help fix, so we should try. If we could fix it, it would help a lot of people. Something should be done because it is the lowest it’s been in over 85 years. Another piece of evidence from CNN says, “A disappearing Great Salt Lake could poison the lungs of more than 2.5 million people. When lake levels hit historic lows in recent months, 800 square miles of lakebed were exposed—soil that holds centuries of natural and manmade toxins like mercury, arsenic and selenium.” This means that if we don’t do something, it could poison a whole city of over 200,000 people and possibly spread even further.
My solution is that a government organization should be dedicated to preventing water decreases and shortages. This would save a lot of lives now and save even more later. Government intervention has already started to help, but it can help even more. The Washington Post says the Federal Government is asking states to reduce water usage by 2-4 million acre-feet. An acre-foot is an acre of water that is a foot deep. For comparison, that is 651,701,886,000 gallons or 407,313,678,750 toilet flushes. The entire United States only flushes the toilet about 638,750,000,000 times per year. Even with all of this, it would only increase flow by about 30%. The government is helping, but even more needs to be done to provide a solid, lasting solution. This solution would involve severe intervention with water cutbacks and water conservation. This would also involve rerouting rivers and creating dams to increase flow.
When I first became aware of this problem, I thought there was no way it could be this bad. I had seen the Colorado River less than a year ago. Then I started to feel worried. Articles I had read said that if water shortages continue, the Hoover Dam might be unable to generate electricity. The Hoover Dam provides the majority of electricity for the surrounding area. When I think about it now, I feel something should have been done earlier. Sure, now the government can divert rivers and conserve water, but it likely won’t be the same way it was before. If there is ever a water shortage in my area, I would want to have some form of government or organization that could install preventative measures. I wouldn’t want to have a solution in place too late. If this problem was solved, it would mean that the likelihood of something bad happening related to a water shortage would be much lower.
Clearly, water shortages in the United States create challenges because there is not enough water for everyone. This can cause many problems, like not having enough water to drink. Therefore, the government should create a plan to solve problems like this in the future. This would include local government and a higher level if it gets too serious. Please help by agreeing to add more government intervention with water shortages.
