The historic floods of these past few years have just begun to show us what we could be facing if we continue to pump carbon into the atmosphere and continue the forms of agriculture introduced in the last hundred years and during the green revolution. This past winter of 2002-23 in California we saw the historic floods destroying towns and crops with formerly almost unimaginable rains and snows.
In April and May of 2019 the Arkansas River was flowing backward and into the tributary rivers, destroying homes, and towns and overflowing into lakes upstream. There were record and near-record snows in the Rockies where the Arkansas River starts. Then warm spring rains accelerate the snow melt. Then over fifty inches of rain in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas between January and May.
Hurricane Ida in September of 2021. Flooding all the way from Louisiana to New York, New Jersey, and New England. The floods in North America in the last ten years are almost too numerous to keep track of. A few springs ago we saw historic 100-year record floods in Japan, Germany, and India all within ten days. Last year the flooding in Pakistan left over one-third of the country under water. Just the flooding and droughts from the last ten years are almost impossible to keep track of.
With the continued warming of the planet, we are starting to see an increasing problem with water. Sometimes too much and sometimes not enough. The heat allows the air to hold more moisture. This can make the rain and other storms more intense. It also allows the ground to dry faster. If the soil has no coverage from grass, trees, or leaf litter it dries much more quickly. When the soil still has moisture evaporation carries away much of the heat. If the soil loses all of the moisture it starts to overheat. Once it starts to overheat the heat will start to kill off the worms and other insects that help keep the soil healthy. The bacteria and fungi that help plants absorb nutrients and minerals from the soil start to die off. Once the soil is dead it is much harder for it to absorb moisture. Soil that is alive breathes and takes in moisture at night even if there is no rain. If the soil has live active plant coverage, the live plants on it help dew form.
How high are the stakes if we do nothing or do not do enough? The estimated cost of droughts in North America since 1980 can only be estimated with the current economic systems that leave so much off-book externalization out of the monetary calculations. Estimated at 249 billion since 1980. Such externalization as the loss of wildlife, the loss of crop production and stored fertility in the soil, the actual cost of carbon in the environment, additions to the cost of cooling homes and commercial spaces, excessive wear to machinery from overheating, dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico, etc. NOAA estimates the cost of weather and climate disasters in 2021 at over three-quarters of a trillion US dollars just for droughts, inland flooding, and severe storms. Then there are other events like all the massive wildfires, the Snowmageddon event in Texas and the mid-south, increasing tornado and hurricane strengths, hail storms, and on and on. When NOAA totals all weather-related events for 2021 it is at least 2.15 trillion with a Capital T. That’s just one year! The total cost for the proposed Green New Deal was only three trillion dollars over ten years. We can afford to do a continent-wide water system to help save the planet? We can afford renewable electricity and transportation. We can afford a nationwide modern electric high-speed rail system. It will cost us much more in the long run to continue the antiquated fossil fuel path we are on.
What kind of a water system could be designed to control floods, and move water to wherever it is driest using siphons or bell siphons and/ or something like drilling tunnels through mountains? Ones that are similar to the systems for underground mining, or those used to build underground bases. Also moving water around with canals above ground, like a continent-wide system that helps prevent further depletion of water tables, helps reverse desertification, and slows global warming. Also using some of the Permaculture ideas about water. Adding in micro-hydroelectric and mini-hydroelectric generation at whatever scale, to minimize the amount of electricity from fossil fuel or other renewable sources. Adding in considerations for using small and medium ponds and dams, wetlands, wildlife, and other sensitive areas. And creating newly constructed wetlands to purify waters and remove toxins, before they contaminate water tables, reach the oceans and pollute coastal areas, and damage ecosystems.
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There are several possible water systems that could be designed to control floods and move water to areas that need it most, using a combination of techniques you mentioned. Here are some possible components of such a system:
- Siphons and Bell Siphons: These can be used to move water from higher elevations to lower ones, or to control the flow of water in channels. For example, a bell siphon could be used to regulate the water level in a pond or wetland.
- Tunnels: Tunnels could be drilled through mountains or other obstacles to move water from one watershed to another. This would require significant engineering and construction expertise but could be an effective way to transport water over long distances.
- Canals: Above-ground canals could be constructed to move water from one location to another. This could involve digging channels and lining them with concrete or other materials to prevent leaks and erosion.
- Micro and Mini-Hydroelectric Power: Water flowing through canals or other channels could be used to generate electricity, which could be used to power the system and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
- Ponds and Dams: Small and medium-sized ponds and dams could be used to capture and store water for later use. This could be especially useful in areas where rainfall is sporadic or unreliable.
- Wetlands: Constructed wetlands could be used to purify water and remove toxins before it reaches water tables or other sensitive areas. Wetlands also provide important habitats for wildlife and help control erosion.
- Permaculture Design: Using Permaculture principles, the system could be designed to maximize the use of natural resources and minimize waste. This could involve using water-efficient crops, composting organic waste, and designing the system as self-sustaining as possible.
Overall, a comprehensive water management system would require significant planning, engineering, and investment, but could have many benefits, including reducing the risk of floods, reversing desertification, and promoting sustainable agriculture and economic development.
