https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb Economic , Social, Political, and Environmental Impacts on the "hardest working river in the West," the Colorado River en-us 2023-04-03 20:29:17 UTC 2023-05-16 00:43:10 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f3de.png 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2584381281 Summary: The Salton Sea is a man made lake created from farm run off from the Colorado River. It has become an essential aspect of the economy, giving jobs from various touring options, and has became a major tourist attraction. The lake is highly toxic due to the pesticides in the water. Today, the lake is drying up and the fish are dying in the lake.

Analysis: Since the lake is toxic, as it dries up it is causing major problems for the surrounding community. It has the highest asthma rates in the country and a lot of other health problems as well. Due to the lake drying up, tourist have stopped traveling to the lake, costing the people's jobs who live there. It is going to be very expensive to fix this problem to restore the Saltan Sea.]]> 2023-05-09 20:34:51 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2584381281 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591850481 Summary: Silverton Colorado is a old mining town which is highly polluted. These mines were left behind once the minerals lost their value and now over 50 million gallons of water is contaminated from these old mines daily. Most of the runoff from the mines are going into fresh groundwater which could be used for drinking and many other things. This is causing it to be highly toxic for the aquatic life.

Analysis: Due to the amount of runoff from these mines, it is very expensive for the government to contain the tainted water, so it comes from taxpayers money. The tainted water is also poisining the water and could cause future problems for not only the aquatic life, but for humans as over five states drink from this water.


]]> 2023-05-15 19:52:21 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591850481 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591858101 Summary: Mariott Springs Desert Hotel is a very popular place for tourism. It creates lots of jobs and funding for the town. However, man-made lakes, lagoons, and ponds hold over 20 million gallons of fresh water. 1.5 million gallons of water a day are pumped in order to keep the grass green. Many politicians disagree with this because it takes a crazy amount of water to upkeep.

Analysis: Since the amount of water being pumped out is so high, the Coachella Aquifer is slowly starting to lower. In order to save the Aquifer, hotels can create more desert friendly landscapes that utilize less water. They can also add more water saving faucets and showers into the hotels. Lastly, they can reduce the amount of man-made lakes and other water fixtures in order to save more water.]]> 2023-05-15 20:00:20 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591858101 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591864180 Summary: Lake Powell supports the economy surrounding it and is a major hit for tourists visiting the attraction. Over 50% of the people are in the retail workforce, (restraunts, water services). However, drought and overuse of the Colorado River are starting to disrupt the supply of water in the West. 

Analysis: Since 1969, the water level has decreased almost 200 feet. It is decreasing so much that eventually it may be deemed useless as a resevior. If the lake dwindles away, it will dramaticaly affect all of the businesses and workforce surrounding the area. In order to save the lake, more rainfall is needed and become more aware of the useage of the Colorado River.]]> 2023-05-15 20:07:20 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591864180 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591868463 Summary: The San Diego Desalanitation Plant is the largest in the country which could provide water for up to 3 million people in San Diego. However, this is going to be very expensive to upkeep and would have to come from taxpayers money. 

Analysis: In order to build the desalanitation plant it would cost over 1 billion dollars. The water alone would cost about 2 billion dollars more over the next three decades. Also, in order to be enough for all Southern California, 30 more plants would have to be built. This is going to be very expensive and taxes will probably rise if they build more.]]> 2023-05-15 20:12:36 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591868463 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591874111 Summary: The water in the community is toxic and people get sick if they drink from it. So instead, the people in the community have to drive very far to get the water they need just to get buy. People in the community dedicate their life to helping people get more water. Every few months, they get a shipment of water from a truck, but it is never enough to last. To save water, they have to be very careful about washing their hands and they even share water to tale showers.

Analysis: In order to restore water to the community, organizations need to build more wells. Also, workers need to install running water to every home since not every home has running water. Lastly, people can be even more careful with their water and find more ways to save it.]]> 2023-05-15 20:18:45 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591874111 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591879047 Summary: St. George Utah is pumping over 28 billion gallons of waterin order to upkeep unrational things such as golf courses, swimming pools ect. Due to the amount of water getting removed, the water level has dropped more than 40%. This is also caused by abscence of snow and rainfall.

Analysis: Since the town is pumping so much water, they need to become into a more desert friendly town by adding more desert friendly landscapes and remoing unrational things to have in a desert. One of the most effective ways of doing this, is by removing lawns and adding more desert friendly plants and rocks. Increase in snow and rainfall can also help resolve this issue.]]> 2023-05-15 20:24:05 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591879047 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591883610 Summary: Southern California gives drinking water to over 26 cities, si they are very conservative about using water. Most people have xeriscaped lawns in order to help save water. "Drought Busters" are also used to help reduce the amount of water.

Analysis: Since the community is doing so well in saving water, it can provide fresh water for over 26 cities. In order to save water, they have laws against unnesecary things such as washing sidewalks, lawns, or leaks. "Drought Busters" help regulate this and it is a very good way to preserve the water from the Colorado River.]]> 2023-05-15 20:29:53 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591883610 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591887569 Summary: Minute 319 is the first peaceful aggreement from bording coutries which is beneficial for both states. Minute 319 is a plan in order to restore the Colorado River delta. Restoring the Delta will help bring back spieces to the area. It will also allow the Colorado River to run all the way through to the Atlantic Ocean again. The first trial of this proved very succesful and helped restore part of the Colorado River Delta.

Analysis: In order to restore the delta, it is going to take time and lots of workers/resources. As the Delta begins to be restored, the community around it will be restored as well. Species will return and some species will come out of endangerment due to the restoration. This method is very succesful and over time the Delta will be restored at this rate.]]> 2023-05-15 20:34:50 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591887569 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591891784 Summary: Lake Mead is a neighboring lake to Lake Powell. Very similar to Lake Powell, it has a very high tourism rate, which creates lots of jobs for the community. However, due to climate change the lake is getting warmer and warmer. If greenhouse gas emmisions are not reduced, the temperature of the river could rise more than 5 degrees farenhiet. Also due to climate change, the lake is also drying up.

Analysis: If the lake dries up, lots of jobs in the communtiy could be lost and the lake would be almost useless. In order to save the lake people need to stop polluting the enviornment and to be more aware of the greenhouse gas emmisions that they are releasing into the enviornment. ]]> 2023-05-15 20:39:44 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2591891784 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2592058012 Summary: The Grand Canyon is a beautiful uniuqe man made creation. The Government decideds on how much water is sent down the river. It has transitioned from a very warm hot muddy river into a clear fresher river. Since the water temperature is changing the native species are going away. The population of species is starting to decline. They introduced a not native species into the beetle and now it has killed a majority of the shrubery.

Analysis: Since the native species are declininig, they are attempting to reintroduce them and get rid of the non native species. The non native species are destroying the banks of the Grand Canyon and native species have dissapeared due to the temperature of the river. In order to restore it, they need to succsefully get rid of the non native species and lower the temperature in the river so that it is more substainable for the native species.]]> 2023-05-16 00:30:11 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2592058012 21245341 https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2592076545 2023-05-16 00:43:10 UTC https://padlet.com/21245341/t6sw2db530cypzeb/wish/2592076545