Clean Power Plan could impact water
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Editor,
I can’t remember the last time I heard good news about water resources. Any “good news” I hear is more a statement of relief that something worse didn’t happen. On the Grand Mesa I only ever hear that the water is short. Even during the wet year many seasons ago no one ever said that we finally had enough water, just that it was good that we were finally getting some. The shortage which the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project is experiencing is hardly unexpected and I doubt anyone is really that surprised. There is not an even supply of water throughout the year. Snowpack melts too quickly to be utilized latter in the year and rains come in furious short bursts when they come at all.
For years now the droughts have made it even more difficult for farmers and ranchers to work an already difficult job. That climate change is a cause of this water shortage is an undeniable truth. Pollution is making it difficult to do the things we used to take for granted. Carbon pollution from power plants is a prime cause of climate change, but this must change if we wish to continue have a strong agricultural sector. The new Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon pollution 30 percent by 2030, more than what Germany produces in a single year. This will be no small accomplishment as Germany is the sixth largest polluter in the world. The CPP will have a positive impact on our environment and on agriculture and we all can support it by calling our state representatives.
Kelley Schweissing
Grand Junction, Colorado
