I think blue gold/ water rights is a tough topic.... To get the Great lake area to be willing to supply the rest of the country would be a big sell. Even smaller states wouldn't want to sacrifice their water.
But there have been plans, as far as I know, it is politics.
BWAHAHAHA! You're going to just pull the drain stopper?
The only way the Great Lakes are "up" from the Desert West is on a wall map. The highest surface elevation is about 600' source
When discussing actually moving water through pipes, it's a different story. Lots of pumping stations like this "biggest in world" example will be necessary to move the water over regions where some 'flatlands' are 3-5000 feet.
All Great Lakes water and their watershed are also controlled by treaty w Canada besides their being surrounded by blue and purple states.
There is an interesting concept of pumping flood waters of the Mississippi out of Louisiana at an already existing flood control structure. As one of the commenters mentioned it has to go from near sea level to 6,000 ft to get into the Colorado River watershed. Doable but really expensive.
Also a pipeline or canal would have to cross other dry states like Texas and NM so the politics involved would be tough to work through.
I think blue gold/ water rights is a tough topic.... To get the Great lake area to be willing to supply the rest of the country would be a big sell. Even smaller states wouldn't want to sacrifice their water.
But there have been plans, as far as I know, it is politics.
Because most settlements are near water already, either in a river or lake, or in aquifers. And it's expensive as fuck.
Also, for your example with Lake Michigan water to Montana there is an international treaty between the US and Canada that prevents it.
Because fuck California. They can't have our water, they should build a desalination plant instead.
BWAHAHAHA! You're going to just pull the drain stopper?
The only way the Great Lakes are "up" from the Desert West is on a wall map. The highest surface elevation is about 600' source
When discussing actually moving water through pipes, it's a different story. Lots of pumping stations like this "biggest in world" example will be necessary to move the water over regions where some 'flatlands' are 3-5000 feet.
We pump a lot of water from underground resources. So much in fact, that we have decimated the water tables. Wells are going dry.
All Great Lakes water and their watershed are also controlled by treaty w Canada besides their being surrounded by blue and purple states.
There is an interesting concept of pumping flood waters of the Mississippi out of Louisiana at an already existing flood control structure. As one of the commenters mentioned it has to go from near sea level to 6,000 ft to get into the Colorado River watershed. Doable but really expensive.
Also a pipeline or canal would have to cross other dry states like Texas and NM so the politics involved would be tough to work through.
It's hard to pipe water into Colorado because it's higher than the states surrounding it. That would require some massive pumps
There would be zero need of the USA wasn't importing 10s if millions of shit skins.
America is full. Go home.