The Big Thirst, page 41
Rohret says the two big courses average 130,000 rounds of golf a year. At 18 holes per round, that’s 2.34 million holes played.
The par-3 course averages 30,000 rounds of golf. At 12 holes per round, that’s 0.36 million additional holes.
Total holes played per year: 2.7 million.
Converted to 18-hole equivalents, that comes to 150,000 rounds.
In 2009, the course used 376 million gallons of water.
376 million gallons ÷ 150,000 rounds = 2,507 gallons / round.
According to the American Water Works Association (www.awwa.org), the average water use in U.S. homes is 350 gallons per day, although that varies widely.
17. For purposes of its turf-removal program, popularly known as “cash for grass,” the SNWA calculates that the average homeowner uses 73 gallons of water per square foot of grass. That comes to 3.18 million gallons for every acre of lawn, or 9.8 acre-feet of water for every acre of lawn.
The SNWA currently restricts golf courses to using 6.3 acre-feet of water per acre of turf per year—36 percent less water per acre.
18. The latest census figures (2009) show the Orlando metropolitan area with 2.1 million people, compared with Las Vegas’s 1.9 million. (Clark County’s own population figure for 2010 is 2 million in the metro area.) http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2009/CBSA-EST2009–01.csv.
The number of visitors to the Orlando–Orange County region, which includes Walt Disney World, comes from the Orlando Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and is reported to be 48 million, compared with the 36 million visitors Las Vegas had in 2009.
Orlando statistics here:
Frequently Asked Questions, Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. http://www.orlandoinfo.com/media/orlando/faqs.cfm#Visitors.
Las Vegas statistics here:
Historical Las Vegas Visitor Statistics (1970–2009), Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (PDF). http://www.lvcva.com/getfile/80/Historical%201970%20to%202009.pdf.
The normal precipitation in Orlando is 48 inches; normal precipitation in Las Vegas is 4.5 inches:
Comparative Climatic Data for the United States Through 2009 (PDF). http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/ccd-data/CCD-2009.pdf.
19. The SNWA water restrictions for golf courses are outlined here:
“Golf Course Water Budgets,” Drought & Restrictions: Conservation Measures, Southern Nevada Water Authority. http://www.snwa.com/html/drought_restrictions_golf.html.
The 6.3 acre-feet of water for each acre of turf comes to 2.1 million gallons of water, per acre, per year. That’s 5,753 gallons of water per acre per day.
The Imperial Valley and its use of Lake Mead water is discussed at greater length in chapter 9, “It’s Water. Of Course It’s Free,” starting on page 267.
The average Imperial Valley farmer uses 6.0 acre-feet of water per acre of irrigated farmland, according to the Imperial Valley Irrigation District’s reports:
2005 Annual Water Report, Imperial Irrigation District (PDF). http://www.iid.com/Media/2005IIDWaterAnnualReport.pdf.
20. Lawn watering is a huge consumer of water in the U.S. Even in Florida, half the water delivered to homes is used for lawn watering:
Martin Wanielista, Stormwater Reuse: A Summary, 2006, University of Central Florida Stormwater Management Academy (PDF). http://www.stormwater.ucf.edu/research/publications/Stormwater%20Reuse%20A%20Summary.doc.
According to the SNWA, 44.5 percent of all water delivered in the Las Vegas area goes to single-family homes, and 70 percent of that water ends up outside, which comes to 31 percent of water pumped used outdoors at single-family homes.
The breakdown of water use by category and customer is in the Water Resource Plan 09, Southern Nevada Water Authority (PDF), p. 16. http://www.snwa.com/html/wr_resource_plan.html.
21. The SNWA provided figures for total withdrawals from Lake Mead, total water returned, and consumptive use (withdrawals minus returns) for 25 years. All data are in acre-feet.
22. The SNWA explanation of how to drain your Las Vegas swimming pool into the city’s sanitary sewers is at two sites.
Step-by-step instructions are here:
“How to Drain a Pool or Spa,” Conservation & Rebates: Pools & Spas, Southern Nevada Water Authority. http://www.snwa.com/html/cons_pools_drain.html.
Tips and warnings are here:
“Pool Draining Tips,” Conservation & Rebates: Pools & Spas, Southern Nevada Water Authority. http://www.snwa.com/html/cons_pools_draintips.html.
23. Lake Lanier’s level, like that of other federal reservoirs, is measured in feet above sea level. The lake, formally named Lake Sidney Lanier, is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Lanier’s usable water ends at 1,035 feet. Below that is the “dead pool” of water, which is inaccessible to water intakes without additional pumps. Lanier is considered full at 1,071 feet.
Lanier reached its all-time operational low on December 26, 2007, at 1,050.79 feet, just 16 feet above the dead-pool level. It hadn’t been that low since February 6, 1958, when the reservoir was first being filled.
The history of Lanier’s levels, along with other data on its operations, is here:
ACF Historic Project Data, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Mobile District. http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/gage/acfhist.htm.
24. Georgia’s grab for a little slice of Tennessee River water by moving its border north got a fair amount of media attention.
Andrea Jones and Ben Smith, “By Wide Margin, Resolutions Pass to Seek Border Change,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 21, 2008. Includes the details of the vote, the singing of “This Land Is Your Land,” and the quote from Tennessee state representative Gerald McCormick. (It is no longer available free online.)
Governor Sonny Perdue did not sign the border bill until May 14, 2008:
Jim Galloway, “Fetch Your Buckets! Perdue Signs Up for a Border War with Tennessee,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 15, 2008. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/politicalinsider/entries/2008/05/15/fetch_your_buckets_perdue_sign.html.
A New York Times account, before the final vote, is here:
Shaila Dewan, “Georgia Claims a Sliver of the Tennessee River,” New York Times, February 22, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html.
The story of Chattanooga’s mayor sending a truckload of water south is here:
James Baird, “Chattanooga Mayor Pokes Fun at Southeastern Water Crisis,” Tennessee Journalist, February 27, 2008. http://tnjn.com/2008/feb/27/chattanooga-mayor-pokes-fun-at.
25. The population of Atlanta in 2009 was 5.475 million, according to the census. http://www.census.gov/popest/metro/tables/2009/CBSA-EST2009–01.csv.
The Atlanta real estate consulting firm Haddow & Company has an excellent table of Atlanta’s population growth, since 1960, using census data:
Population Trends—Atlanta MSA, Haddow & Company (PDF). http://www.haddowandcompany.com/marketdata/Population%20Trends%20Atlanta%20MSA%20-%202008.pdf.
26. Details of Lake Lanier’s size and operation can be found at the Army Corps of Engineers site for the lake:
“Map Room,” Lake Sidney Lanier, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Mobile District. http://lanier.sam.usace.army.mil/MapRoom.htm.
Lake Mead’s size and capacity are described here:
Hoover Dam: Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region. http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/lakefaqs.html.
Lake Lanier’s historical levels are here:
ACF Historic Project Data. http://water.sam.usace.army.mil/gage/acfhist.htm.
27. For a profile of the Atlanta area’s water system, see:
Water Supply and Water Conservation Management Plan—May 2009, Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District. http://www.northgeorgiawater.com/html/88.htm.
28. Stacy Shelton, “Metro Atlanta’s Need for Water: Three Months from a Mudhole,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 11, 2007.
29. Atlanta mayor William Hartsfield’s letter is excerpted in a federal court decision from July 2009 in which Atlanta’s use of Lake Lanier water was ruled illegal. The full text of U.S. District Court judge Paul Magnuson’s decision, in what is called the Tri-State Water Rights Litigation, is below. Mayor Hartsfield’s letter is on p. 13 of the PDF.
“Memorandum and Order,” In re: Tri-State Water Rights Litigation, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, p. 13 (PDF). http://www.dep.state.fl.us/mainpage/acf/files/statements/071709_magnuson_ruling.pdf.
30. Representative Phil Gingrey’s quote is here:
“Georgia Delegation Introduces Legislation to Alleviate Water Crisis,” October 16, 2007. http://isakson.senate.gov/press/2007/101607water.htm.
31. As part of its drought coverage, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution produced a map that shows the major water users throughout the 542-mile length of the Chattahoochee-Apalachicola river system:
Dale E. Dodson, “Heavy Demands on Our Water,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. http://www.ajc.com//metro/content/metro/stories/2007/10/26/watermap.html.
32. Bill Rankin, “Federal Judge Rules Against Ga. in Water Litigation,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 17, 2009. http://www.ajc.com/news/federal-judge-rules-against-94051.html.
33. Congressman Gerald Ford’s question, during hearings over the construction of Lake Lanier, is excerpted (p. 16) in the federal court decision from July 2009 in which Atlanta’s use of Lake Lanier water was ruled illegal.
“Memorandum and Order,” In re: Tri-State Water Rights Litigation, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, p. 16 (PDF). http://www.dep.state.fl.us/mainpage/acf/files/statements/071709_magnuson_ruling.pdf.
34. The full text of U.S. District Court judge Paul Magnuson’s decision in the Tri-State Water Rights Litigation makes compelling reading for anyone interested in a compressed history of the southeastern water wars.
“Memorandum and Order,” In re: Tri-State Water Rights Litigation, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida (PDF). http://www.dep.state.fl.us/mainpage/acf/files/statements/071709_magnuson_ruling.pdf.
35. Ibid., p. 93.
36. Ibid., pp. 94–95.
37. Ibid., pp. 93–94, 95.
38. Ibid., pp. 93, 96.
39. Dan Chapman and Leon Stafford, “Will Water Ruling Dry Up Growth?” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 24, 2009. http://www.ajc.com/news/will-water-ruling-dry-99500.html.
40. Water Contingency Planning Task Force: Findings and Recommendations, State of Georgia, December 21, 2009, p. 4 (PDF). http://gov.georgia.gov/vgn/images/portal/cit_1210/59/57/154449884Water%20Contingency%20Planning%20Task%20Force%20Final%20Report.pdf.
Governor Perdue’s quote is in the following. Jeremy Redmon, “Perdue: Lake Lanier Georgia’s Best Option for Drinking Water,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 11, 2009. http://www.ajc.com/news/perdue-lake-lanier-georgias-238353.html.
41. There is ongoing coverage in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of the negotiations over the allocation of water among Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Stories in late 2009 and 2010 include:
Jeremy Redmon, “Three Governors Say a Water-Sharing Agreement Is in the Works,” December 15, 2009. http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/three-governors-say-a-241962.html.
Bob Keefe, “Tri-State Water Talks Bog Down,” May 31, 2010. http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/tri-state-water-talks-538766.html.
Patrick Fox, “Lanier Ruling Anniversary Finds Perdue, Groups at Odds,” July 16, 2010. http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/lanier-ruling-anniversary-finds-572203.html.
42. The text of Georgia’s Water Stewardship Act of 2010 is at the link below (PDF). The exemptions from the watering limitations for home vegetable gardens, golf courses, and athletic fields are on p. 6. http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/pdf/hb1094.pdf.
43. Jeremy Redmon, “Corps to Tighten Spigot at Lake Lanier in Wake of Judge’s Ruling,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 18, 2009. http://www.ajc.com/news/corps-to-tighten-spigot-203870.html.
44. Henry Brean, “Third Straw: Water Authority Digs Deep for Third Intake Pipe at Lake Mead,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, December 13, 2009. http://www.lvrj.com/news/water-authority-digs-deep-for-third-intake-pipe-at-lake-mead-79158322.html.
45. Gallons per capita per day (GPCD) figures for the Las Vegas metro area for the last 21 years were supplied by the SNWA:
Year
GPCD
1989
348
1990
347
1991
344
1992
339
1993
337
1994
329
1995
327
1996
329
1997
322
1998
317
1999
315
2000
315
2001
318
2002
314
2003
294
2004
274
2005
269
2006
264
2007
255
2008
248
2009
240
46. Water Utility Climate Alliance. http://www.wucaonline.org/html.
Members include: Denver Water, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the Portland Water Bureau, the San Diego Utilities Commission, Seattle Public Utilities, and the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
4. WATER UNDER WATER
1. The Wall Street Journal’s “Washington Wire” noted at the time how fresh developments were elbowing equally dramatic events out of the limelight:
Evan Perez, “Washington Wire: Palin Overshadows Hurricane Recovery, Lehman Talks,” Wall Street Journal, September 14, 2008. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/09/14/palin-overshadows-hurricane-recovery-lehman-talks.
The dates of the series of events in September 2008:
September 1: Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter Bristol is revealed to be pregnant.
September 7: Mortgage companies Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are placed under federal control.
September 11: Galveston residents are ordered to evacuate as Hurricane Ike approaches.
September 14: AIG seeks its first emergency bailout of $40 billion from the federal government; Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy.
September 16: The U.S. government agrees to loan AIG $85 billion and take an 80 percent ownership stake in the insurer.
September 20: The Bush administration proposes its first $700 billion financial bailout.
September 24: Senator John McCain suspends his presidential campaign to return to Washington and consult on solutions to the financial crisis.
September 26: The FDIC seizes Washington Mutual bank, the largest bank failure in U.S. history.
September 29: The U.S. House rejects the Bush administration’s first financial bailout proposal; Citigroup purchases Wachovia’s banking operations.
2. At the time, Hurricane Ike was described as the largest-ever Atlantic basin hurricane, in terms of width, but Dennis Feltgen of the National Hurricane Center says while Ike turned out to be one of the largest, both Hurricane Donna (1960) and Hurricane Betsy (1965) were bigger across.
Hurricane Ike’s wind field is described here. “Hurricane Ike 2008,” Hurricane History, National Hurricane Center. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/history.shtml.
3. The text of the “certain death” warning from the local Houston/Galveston National Weather Service office is archived at this link. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/hgx/projects/ike08/HGX_Products/HLS/HLSHGX_091208_1000Z.txt.
The unusually blunt nature of the “certain death” warning was noted in the media, even as Hurricane Ike approached, and was not without controversy.
The Dallas Morning News called it “the storm warning heard ’round the world.”
Jeffrey Weiss, “Weather Forecasters Say Hurricane Warnings Can Make the Difference Between Life, Death,” Dallas Morning News, September 19, 2008. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/091908dnmetcertaindeath.1677b70.html.
National Geographic News wrote two stories about it.
Willie Drye, “Hurricane Ike’s 9-Foot Floods to Bring ‘Certain Death,’” National Geographic News, September 12, 2008. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/080912-hurricane-ike.html.
Drye, “Why Hurricane Ike’s ‘Certain Death’ Warning Failed,” National Geographic News, September 26, 2008. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/09/080926-hurricane-ike-evacuation.html.
4. The San Luis Resort’s construction on the site of Fort Crockett is described here: The San Luis Resort History, San Luis Resort. http://sanluisresort.com/about-us/history/index.cfm.
5. The water that drowned the motors in 30th Street Station turned out to have come up into the motor pits through the drains in the floor.
Says Eric Wilson: “Should I have known about the drains? Yes. I have no issue accepting that blame.”
6. How much water may have filled up Galveston’s 59th Street Pump Station?
The building is roughly 20 meters long and 7.7 meters wide (66 feet by 25 feet). The water rose at least 2.4 meters (8 feet) inside—and probably more like 2.75 meters.
With a depth of 2.4 meters of water inside, that’s 370 cubic meters of water—97,740 gallons.
7. Mississippi River Water Quality and the Clean Water Act: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities (Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2008), p. 102. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12051.
8. Ronald Schuyler, an expert on wastewater treatment with the Denver engineering firm Tetra Tech (www.tetratech.com), provided details on what kinds of bacteria help eat and digest routine waste in wastewater treatment plants, via e-mail. The most surprising thing is how little we know about how our own wastewater treatment plants operate.
