North American water resources

The climate of the western United States has been predicted to become drier with global warming. This could result in the United States asking Canada or even Mexico for additional water supplies.

Background

The United States will need to encourage water in the use of water and potentially move water from wetter areas to drier areas. For example, much of the water from the Colorado River system has been diverted for many years to areas such as southern California to help quench the thirst of the growing population. Even larger scale water diversions have been proposed, such as moving freshwater from the Great Lakes or from other large bodies of water in Canada, such as James Bay, to the western United States.

Current Water Agreements and US-Canada Relations

Both the United States and Canada have a reasonable supply of freshwater at about 6.5 percent to 7 percent, respectively, of the world’s freshwater, although it is not always found in the best places. For instance, the central and eastern United States have a reasonable amount of water, whereas the western United States is drier in most places. The water problems in the dry western states are complicated by the many people moving into dry states such as Texas, Arizona, and California and by the lack of water conservation.

Most of the movement of water from more water-rich areas to drier areas has been done locally between water drainage basins for irrigation, water supplies, and hydroelectric power. For example, the movement of water from the Colorado River basin to California was mentioned above. The only water use shared between the United States and Canadian communities has been done locally with small volumes of water. For instance, water has been shared between Point Roberts, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. There is also little movement of bottled beverages between the United States and Canada except for some beer and soft drinks. Canada and the United States have also cooperated on the management of water, such as the Great Lakes and rivers that flow along or cross the border of the two countries. There has been little discussion between the two governments, however, on the possibility of large-scale exports of water from Canada to the United States. Many Canadians fear what may happen to their water if the United States decides it needs water from Canada.

Water Conservation in the United States

The United States has not only looked for new sources of water in dry areas, but it has also encouraged or required water conservation to lower water use. Water conservation practices include the recycling of wastewater, drip irrigation, low-water-flow appliances (such as toilets, washing machines, and dishwashers), and the harvesting of rain. San Antonio, Texas, for example, has reduced its use of water per person by 40 percent since 1980 by giving rebates to households to conserve water. California has not increased its water use much since 1970, even though its population has doubled. Also, the of seawater along the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico has begun to be added to domestic water supplies.

Of course, water conservation has not been considered in some actions of the United States government as it continues to give subsidies to grow certain agricultural products. For example, the United States government has given subsidies to farmers in the dry western states to grow a high water consumption product, corn, to be used for ethanol, instead of growing a lower water use product like cotton. This action has led to an increased use of irrigation.

Long-Distance Transport of Water

If the conservation practices and shorter-range transport option for water in the United States are not sufficient to supply the demand for water, then the United States may decide to look for long-distance water transport from other regions such as Alaska, Canada, and even Mexico. Alaska has about a third of the renewable water in the United States, and it has expressed an interest in selling its water to other states. The water could be moved south using large pipelines. There appears to also be excess water in the Columbia River, which borders Washington and Oregon, that could potentially be transported to the southwestern states in the Colorado River basin. By 2024, the United States and Canada were working to update the Columbia Treaty, which was about sixty years old. The revised treaty would outline the use of the river, providing for flood control, irrigation, and hydropower generation for both countries. Sharing water with Canada was a better option than Mexico because the latter has very dry regions near the United States. Therefore, using the country's limited water supplies would be a last resort.

Context

If the United States decides it needs more water in the future, then it may turn to Canada or Mexico for use of some of their water. Some have proposed that the United States could pay Canada for their water just north of the boundary between the two countries. The main problem is that most people in Canada live in the southern part of the country and need the water for themselves. The population is less in the northern part of the country, but the rivers flow to the north, so reversing the flow toward the United States would be expensive.

If none of the above options would work, the United States might consider taking a much larger share of water located along the border of the two countries. The easiest place to take such water would be from the Great Lakes. The United States would not even have to take water directly from Canada, since it could simply enlarge a canal already in place in Illinois that drains water from Lake Michigan. The United States has the legal right to take water from Lake Michigan because of a 1909 treaty (Border Water Treaty) between Canada and the United States. A United States Supreme Court order (1967), however, limited any further diversion of water out of Lake Michigan. This could change if the demand for water is great enough.

Key Concepts

• conservation of water: reduction in the use of water
• desalination: removal of salt from seawater or groundwater so that it may be used for drinking or irrigation
• hydroelectric power: electricity generated by moving water in turbines
• interbasin diversions: water that is removed from one drainage basin to another one so that the water is not available for use within the original basin
• preservation of water: protection of usable water resources from contamination and other threats

Bibliography

Annin, Peter. The Great Lakes Water Wars. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2006.

Associated Press. "US Canada Reach New Agreement on Columbia River Hydropower Water." The Oregonian, 11 July 2024, www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2024/07/us-canada-reach-new-agreement-on-columbia-river-hydropower-water.html. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

"Drinking Water Sources: An Overview." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10 Jan. 2024, www.cdc.gov/drinking-water/about/drinking-water-sources-an-overview.html. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Quinn, Frank. Water Diversion, Export, and Canada-US Relations: A Brief History. Toronto: Munk Centre for International Studies, 2007.

Schmandt, Jurgen. “Bi-national Water Issues in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Basin.” Water Policy 4 (2002): 137-155.