Water scarcity and fish imperilment driven by beef production

Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecologic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature sustainability 2020-04, Vol.3 (4), p.319-328
Main Authors: Richter, Brian D., Bartak, Dominique, Caldwell, Peter, Davis, Kyle Frankel, Debaere, Peter, Hoekstra, Arjen Y., Li, Tianshu, Marston, Landon, McManamay, Ryan, Mekonnen, Mesfin M., Ruddell, Benjamin L., Rushforth, Richard R., Troy, Tara J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
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Aquatic ecosystems
Beef
Cattle
Cattle feeds
Dewatering
Earth and Environmental Science
Environment
Fallowing
Feeds
Forage crops
River basins
River ecology
Rivers
Sustainable Development
Water consumption
Water scarcity
Water security
Water shortages
Water use
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Summary:Human consumption of freshwater is now approaching or surpassing the rate at which water sources are being naturally replenished in many regions, creating water shortage risks for people and ecosystems. Here we assess the impact of human water uses and their connection to water scarcity and ecological damage across the United States, identify primary causes of river dewatering and explore ways to ameliorate them. We find irrigation of cattle-feed crops to be the greatest consumer of river water in the western United States, implicating beef and dairy consumption as the leading driver of water shortages and fish imperilment in the region. We assess opportunities for alleviating water scarcity by reducing cattle-feed production, finding that temporary, rotational fallowing of irrigated feed crops can markedly reduce water shortage risks and improve ecological sustainability. Long-term water security and river ecosystem health will ultimately require Americans to consume less beef that depends on irrigated feed crops. Water use in river basins is an age-old resource-management question, but it is rare to quantify consumption by specific sectors. The Colorado River is being overused for beef and dairy production, endangering the entire river ecosystem.
ISSN:2398-9629
2398-9629
DOI:10.1038/s41893-020-0483-z