Elam, S, Kravarik, J. (2022, August 7). Nebraska and Colorado are sparring over water rights. It could be the new norm as rivers dry up. CNN. Retrieved August 28, 2022 from https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/06/us/drought-water-canal-colorado-nebraska-climate/index.html

 

This month Nebraska announced a plan to build a canal on Colorado land to divert water from the South Platte River. Although a century-old pact between the states allows Nebraska the right to do this, there are still opponents. One such example is Colorado Governor Jared Polis, along with some Colorado farmers, who think the plan is not the best idea. As droughts continue and Colorado’s population grows, Nebraska wants to ensure that it has enough water to water its fields and sustain its population. However, former plans to build canals have failed and the plans could lead to increased tensions between the two states. 

 

As water levels in rivers and reservoirs continue to decrease, I think it’s likely that we will see more of these water fights in the future. Although this one stayed, and will hopefully continue to stay, pretty civil, I worry about water wars between countries in the future. There have always been wars over water, but increased droughts and population growth will make the problem worse. This article made me think about whether there will be more attempts to divert water from upstream across various borders.