- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
Agriculture is the biggest user of the Colorado River, with alfalfa and other sources of livestock feed accounting for nearly half of the water consumed. Municipal water systems use about a quarter.
Alfalfa needs to be dried before you bale it; otherwise (ironically) it spontaneously combusts. It’s cheapest to dry it out on the ground for a while between cutting and baling. If it rains during that time the crop is ruined.
It’s too risky to rely on weather cooperation in a wetter region. Much safer to rely on irrigation in a desert.