What's The Biggest Single Use Of Federally Subsidized Colorado River Water? Growing Hay. [View all]

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With chronic water shortages afflicting the Colorado River, discussions about how to cut usage have increasingly focused on a thirsty crop that consumes an especially large share of the river’s water: hay that is grown to feed cattle and produce beef and dairy products.

In a new study, researchers found that alfalfa and other cattle-feed crops consume 46% of the water that is diverted from the river, accounting for nearly two-thirds of agricultural water use. The research also shows that agriculture is the dominant user of Colorado River water, accounting for 74% of the water that is diverted — about three times the combined usage of all the cities that depend on the river.

The study presents the most detailed analysis of its kind to date, including extensive data on where the river’s water goes across seven Western states and northern Mexico. The research sheds new light on how the river’s water is used at a time when representatives of the federal government, states and tribes are seeking long-term solutions to reduce water use and adapt to climate change.

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As for the large acreages now growing alfalfa, (Ed. - former Interior Secretary Bruce) Babbitt noted that the crop generates relatively low returns and is often the first one taken out of production when farmers agree to temporarily fallow fields. He said that makes the crop an obvious place to begin reducing water use. “It is the most economical way, in the Colorado River Basin, of reducing consumption,” he said. “There are plenty of other areas in this country where there is more than adequate water to grow alfalfa and animal feed.”

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https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-03-28/alfalfa-hay-beef-water-colorado-river