IID rings alarm on shrinking Colorado River crisis
IID official said we need to act now as climate change continues to shrink water sources - 13 On Your Side’s Vince Ybarra reports
IMPERIAL COUNTY, Calif. (KECY, KYMA) - Imperial Irrigation District (IID) warns government officials and residents about how harmful the shrinking Colorado River is to our region.
IID General Manager, Enrique Martinez, recently spoke to the United States House of Representatives about the issue the desert southwest is facing. He said the time to act is now.
“The drought has been in existence now for 21 years and has continued to challenge the inflows,” said Martinez.
He said the use of water has continued to increase over the years and the flow of water coming down the Colorado River has decreased. Martinez said unless there is major change in the current climate and we get more water during the winter months, we will continue to spiral with less and less water.
Martinez said the water from the Colorado River has been regulated since 1911, and since then, it’s been the valley’s only source of water.
“The Colorado River has been providing water to the valley here for irrigation, municipalities and other industrial installations,” said Martinez.
If water eventually runs out, the impact will be felt across several industries and hurt our every day way of living.
“The seven cities here in the valley receive water from our system. If that water is not available, it would just, in essence devastate your normal way of life,” said Martinez.
He said we need more water than we are getting. In recent years, we only get about 70% of water during the winter months.
“It’s been projected just to get back to, what we call a normal 100 percent run-off, which is basically anticipated run-off’s into the reservoirs, we need about 140 percent of a normal water year,” said Martinez.
Martinez said collaboration is the only way to battle the Colorado River from shrinking more. Restoration projects are already in motion. He said the goal is to not let water get so low that it will hurt the economy and our every day life.
