You can read all 13 pages of the document, “Analysis of Colorado River Basin Storage Suggests Need for Immediate Action,” or cut to the chase at John Fleck’s blog.
Either way, your reaction is likely to be, “Oh, shit.”
Water consumption in the [Colorado River] Basin continues to outpace the natural supply, further drawing down reservoir levels. While Basin State representatives pursue the elusive goal of a workable and mutually acceptable set of post-2026 operating rules, our review of the latest Bureau of Reclamation data shows that the gap between ongoing water use and the reality of how much water actually flows in the Colorado River poses a serious near-term threat. Another year like the one we just had on the Colorado River would nearly exhaust our dwindling reserves. …
A solution can’t wait for a long-term agreement among the states. It may be difficult, if not impossible, for the Basin States to take such short term action. That reality puts the onus on the Department of the Interior to act.
The Department of the Interior? Led by former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, a fossil-fuelish kind of fella who briefly ran against the Pestilence, then kowtowed to it, and worked with his former rival’s campaign to develop its energy policy?
Talk about shit and bad luck. Oh, god … oh, shit. …
Mad Blog Media 
The Basin States have been whistling past this graveyard far too long, hoping it wouldn’t come to this and fighting over who gets a big enough piece of the pie. Now the piper will have to be paid.
They wait much longer to settle this thing, they’ll be fighting over slices of an empty pie pan. Burgum will sell whatever water remains to the Saudis so they can wash their private jets.
Either that or it’ll go to Buttface to cool their server farms.
Wait a minute. There are big data centers in that region requiring lots of water. They’re run by the big tech bros. They are trying to build one in Tucson right now. Who’s going to tell them there ain’t no water to cool them servers? The Dept of Interior will just ask donnie what to do. He will tell them to turn on the secret faucet. Problem solved.
Meanwhile, in Valhalla, Cactus Ed Abbey pours himself another cold one, chuckles, and says, “Can’t say I never warned ’em. Right, Jack Burns?”
In other news from Valhalla, Joe Hill just shook his head when Utah announced that alleged post-birth abortionist Tyler Robinson would face the death penalty.
“Imagine my surprise,” Hill quipped to Abbey. “Kid shoulda given the guy a bicycle and then run him down with a car. He could be enjoying a Pepsi with his sweetheart right now instead of the tender mercies of the Beehive State.”
Speaking of the cabinet.
^ That was fantastic! Thanks for posting it. I absolutely thumbed that one up at YouTube.
Yes, it’s humorous to me that those large data centers with monumental budgets haven’t taken the time to figure out methods to reuse the heat energy that they produce instead of pissing it all away in large cooling towers (ie: lot’s of water vapor). In my data center community, an enterprising designer (I wasn’t here then to offer my thoughtful input) could have worked with the community to perhaps put in a year round heated pool – the current city pool was in need of work; or perhaps maybe even used district heating design to heat and power a new motel near the pool to generate revenue from pass through travelers – did I mention the heated water slides at the pool; or as I like to think about, developing a year round velodrome with a heated track – The nearest velodrome in Portland (Alpenrose Dairy) closed down a few years back thus the interest from Portland track cyclists to visit the community and perhaps stay in the nearby motel, etc., etc. I recall back in the 80’s when the term cogeneration was being used when developing power plants. The idea is nothing new but the intention was to do a better job of capturing lost energy. It would be nice if modern data center designers would consider this. Hey, Google, MS, Intel, WAKE UP !
As for the draining of the water shed of the Western US faster then it can be replenished, I guess those who are unable to adapt to the lifestyle of the indigenous people of the desert SW, can always move to south Texas. I believe Texas is thinking about installing a a large subterranean pipe to funnel water away (under) the Houston area during periods of heavy precipitation.
Such problems huh? And to think we could be living in Gaza or in Donbas under the thumb of Putin the Pitiful.
Walt Kelly was right.
I’ve been thinking about that wise ‘possum a lot lately.
And as far as cooling water for power/data centers – a local power plant was built about 25 years ago that uses the effluent water from one of Oklahoma City‘s waste water treatment plants for cooling. There are two 24 inch pipelines running about 6 miles for incoming coolant water and outgoing return water to the local river where the effluent would’ve ended up anyway. There are other problems with the data centers – noise and light pollution, etc.. But the use of effluent water might be a less harmful solution to one of the problems.
Owners of large data centers are interested in quarterly earnings and stock prices. Long term environmental concerns and planning are of no interest other than lip service and corporate and marketing double speak. Tucson, that relies on a combination of ground water and Colorado river water delivered by Central Arizona Project canals, doesn’t have the water. So, when the city said no, they just moved it a few miles into the county. Cooling data centers in areas where the outside temperature is over 100 degrees for weeks on end is stupid from the get go. Other engineering solutions, such as geothermal, are very expensive in the desert. That eats profits. Bottom line is that the tech bros don’t give a rat’s ass about the environment. As people with closed minds and big mouths like to say, prove me wrong.