Drought Requires Response
10/21/2007
Paul Munnis
Drought across the south is a serious problem, one that all Americans need to support solutions for. We can’t make it rain and we can’t play God, yet we have engineering knowledge that we may be able to focus onto the problems. Among those are:
As a people we need to band together and be good neighbors and help one another out during these tough times. This is one such time and it could lead to a repeat of the dust-bowl years if we don’t try to assist in some way.
I doubt that we can save crops, it’s too late in the season for that but we can sure handle the water needs of the people for drinking, cooking, and sanitation. That is what we need to concentrate upon. We should have started yesterday but once again we are a day late and a dollar short in terms of leadership.
My understanding is that Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Georgia are the hardest hit by this drought. All except Tennessee are close to the oceans while Tennessee borders the water rich Appalachians. By the seashore, reverse osmosis has the best potential, while piping from reservoirs in the Appalachians in the best bet for Tennessee. Georgia abuts Florida and that State has good access to seawater. Getting the needed volume is a problem for parallel processing.
This is largely a legislative and funding action anyhow and so we don’t need Bush in the equation except to sign-off. Congress needs to get its homework done, get some good ideas on the table from the Corps of Engineers and set the wheels in motion. Time is of the essence. In closing I would note that a water redistribution system carefully engineered for North America could be of great benefit to all parts of the nation for there are going to be periods where every State faces some shortages and stresses. The availability of such a redistribution system would benefit all of us. It could be more imprtant than the Internet.
Design the master system now and implement southern availability now. Follow that with solutions for California, and then push on to embrace the remaining states. Interconnection of reservoirs is a likely solution and changes to water rights legislation may be needed. This is a form of homeland security for reasons other than terrorism. It is security from the effects of climate change being dealt with.
Atlanta has an emergency and putting the U.S. Forest Service and their water tankers to work to fill area reservoirs would be a big help and could be done now.