WaterWired Review: 'The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry?'

 Last month I mentioned Jim Thebaut's long-awaited film, The American Southwest: Are We Running Dry? At the time I had not seen it so I made no substantive comments. Well, I've seen the film (57-minute version) several times so I will provide my brief take on it now.

Before continuing, let me provide the usual Disclosure notice: Jim Thebaut is a friend I've known for over 5 years. I first met him at the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto where he showed his excellent film Running Dry. His head and heart are in the right place. I received a free copy of the DVD from Jim's publicist, Carol Eisner.

It's my understanding that the two largest financial contributors to the film were the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of SoCal. It will be shown on PBS (if it hasn't already).

Carol also sent me this review from the Las Vegas Weekly.

I've spent virtually all my adult life in the arid Southwest USA and learned my hydrology there, so although I now live in the moist climes of the Willamette Valley, I still have a strong bond with that part of the planet, which has some of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth (don't get me started on the Four Corners area, Utah's Canyon Country, etc.). I know more about the Southwest's water resources than any other place.

Despite all the above, I still learned a lot from Jim's film and will learn more with each successive viewing. It's got the "usual suspects": Peter Gleick, Pat Mulroy, Sen. Pete Domenici, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, Gene Whitney, Benjamin Grumbles, et al. But it also has some future "usual suspects": Dr. Mark Stone, Loris Taylor, Lena Fowler, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA; not a 'usual suspect' in the SW), Kathy Jacobs of the Arizona Water Institute (who mentions the 'private well collective problem' issue - hooray, Kathy!), et al. It is a very good mix of people.

Good points, in no particular order:

• Summary of the problems and how they developed: Manifest Destiny, not adapting but altering the ecosystem to suit us, didn't plan well, etc.
• Native American vantage point is present, along with aphorisms
• Ground water is fairly prominently mentioned - awesome, dude!
• Water quality and alien invasive species issues are mentioned - often neglected in drought discussions
• Other cities mentioned besides the 'usual suspects' (LA, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque): Palm Springs area and Rio Rancho, NM, both of which have heavy ground water dependence 
• Previous 'megadrought' - 800 years ago
• Energy-water connection
• Conservation, recycyling,  and reuse emphasized
• Americans use far more water than many others (Brits, Aussies, developing countries) and we take it for granted 
• Hey, surface water and ground water are connected! 
• Call for a national water policy, and partnership and coordination - not a Federal dictatorship
• Southwest water in the context of the world water situation
• Jane Seymour as narrator and great opening with Jane and Shiprock in the background 

Not-so-good points:

• No mention of Las Vegas' plan to pump rural ground water and pipe it south. This is a controversial plan that some have compared to LA's Owens Valley 'water grab'.
• Speaking of the Owens Valley: when primary sources of water to SoCal are mentioned, the Los Angeles Aqueduct is omitted, yet according to LADWP the aqueduct has provided about half the city's water needs over the last ten years.
• One of Phoenix's "secure" water sources is the Central Arizona Project, but the CAP gets its water from the Colorado River, which is running dry, right? 
• When discussing the Las Vegas area's concern for conservation, a TV PSA is shown. In it, an old woman with a cane knocks on the door of a house whose front yard is being watered in midday. A younger man answers the door. She promptly kicks him in the groin and he crumples to the ground as she walks away. Yeah, that's real funny. Maybe the next time she could trip a disabled person, or an old man could whack a young woman in the breasts. Or kick the guy's dog. Betcha those PSAs would be pulled rather quickly. As my wife Mary Frances might say, "What is this, something sophomore boys in a Catholic high school might do?"  No, Mary Frances, just something sophomoric. But hey, it's all right, it's Vegas. (Note: Jim did not make the PSA.)

A few other things. Rio Rancho, a booming city just northwest of Albuquerque, will not "soon" be as large as the latter. Rio Rancho had about 77,000 people at the last Census estimate (July 1, 2007); Albuquerque has 518,000.  So how soon is soon?

The acequias of New Mexico might have served as an example of community management of water resources and the 'agua es vida' ('water is life') culture.

There was no mention of the Barnett-Pierce Scripps study speculating that Lakes Mead and Powell have a 50% chance of going dry (no power generation and water levels below current intakes) by 2021. The film does mention that Colorado River flows could be much lower in the future.  

But the film does make one provocative statement that the continuing low flows in the Colorado River "could cause potential chaos in the seven states which reside in the river's watershed."

Whoa!

What would that "potential chaos" entail? Would it affect the surrounding states? I wanted to hear more, but that's me, and probably an unfair criticism of a 57-minute film. A treatment of the "chaos" could easily be the subject of its own film. But I do keep looking for someone to provide some brief insight into "thinking about the unthinkable" when it comes to Southwest water and I thought it might be coming after that statement. Problem is, that might really scare people.

Upshot: an excellent film. I know a lot about Southwest water, and I found it informative and extremely well-done. We'll be showing it during our winter term film series here at Oregon State. Maybe we can get Jim up here to discuss it.

"The Earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons and daughters of the Earth." -- Chief Seattle

"A critic is a man who knows the way but can't drive the car." -- Kenneth Tynan

Comments

[Michael]

Hi, Peter.

You got it! I'll have my people call Matt''s people and tell them to call your people and make this happen.

Have your people guarantee that you have right of refusal on the female lead.

Your people need to guard against the "Danny DeVito syndrome" - recall the effort to get Danny to play Professor Geroge Pinder in "A Civil Action". Not a pretty sight...almost killed someone's career....

[Peter Gleick]

I think Matt Damon playing Peter Gleick is a GREAT idea. I'd pay to see that film...

:-)

[Carol Eisner]

Yes, there is a 71-minute version. Please contact the Chronicles Group should anyone wish to obtain a copy.
http://www.runningdry.org/americansouthwest/america.html

[Michael]

Hey, Rob.

Good to hear from you. I will gladly lend you the film. I think I heard there is a 71-minute version out there as well.

Yeah - a film by Oliver Stone or Ridley Scott, starring Matt Damon as Peter Gleick, Scarlett Johansson as Pat Mulroy, Robert Redford as Sen. Pete Domenici, Angelina Jolie as Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Harrison Ford as the President, and Danny DeVito as....hmmmm....Sen. Harry Reid? Oh yeah, the Governator could play himself!

[Robert Emanuel]

Michael,

One of these days I'd like to borrow your copy. Speaking of chaos, why don't we see if there is someone out there willing to do a film on the chaos if things really do go dry? There's got be someone (Oliver Stone, the Cohen Bros.) and it would make a great epic film. Hey, I think I can even see a role for the governor of California in it!