Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Flagstaff, Arizona–A groundbreaking study released this week found that beef and dairy production are the leading force drying rivers, creating water shortages, and imperiling aquatic species in the American West. The study, published in Nature Sustainability, found that beef production is the largest source of river flow depletions in the West accounting for 32 percent of water consumed overall and 55 percent in the Colorado River basin.

“It’s time we start making some hard choices,” said Jen Pelz, Wild Rivers Program Director at WildEarth Guardians and Rio Grande Waterkeeper. “Consumption of beef and dairy is destroying the heart of the West–its beautiful rivers that bring life to the desert–and threatening the economic, cultural and ecological heritage of the region.”

The study also found that irrigated agriculture is the “single largest consumptive user [of water] at both regional and national scales” and that irrigation for cattle-feed accounts for three-quarters of all consumptive water use in the West. The researchers concluded that this use has “a dominant influence on river flow depletion across the western US,” and that flow depletions are a leading cause of ecological decline.

To address ecological impacts of flow depletions, the researchers highlighted how the loss of river flows imperils native fish populations. They found that flow depletions, largely resulting from cattle-feed crop irrigation, were responsible for 70 percent of the incidences of increased risk of local fish extinction. Flow depletions lead to increased concentrations of contaminants that decrease water quality which also plays a role in fish imperilment.

These ecological impacts come with a cost, and the researchers highlight that the annual expense of recovering fish listed under the Endangered Species Act exceeds US$800 million each year, which is more than all other listed species combined.

“Nobody wants to see iconic rivers like the Rio Grande or the Colorado dry or watch species go extinct,” says Galen Hecht, Rio Grande Campaigner at WildEarth Guardians. “Eating a burger everyday is like driving a semi-truck to work. It has a super-sized impact compared to other food choices.”

The study tracked where the beef and dairy produced in western states ends up and found that it’s mostly on the plates of people in major western cities, the four largest consumers being Los Angeles, Denver, Portland, and San Francisco.

The researchers also looked at solutions including fallowing of fields to manage river flow depletions from cattle production but concluded that “long-term water security and river ecosystem health will ultimately require Americans to consume less beef that depends on irrigated feed crops.”

“While food choices are very personal to each of us,” added Pelz. “This study shows that we all can play a critical role in ensuring those choices lead to a more just and sustainable planet for both people and the environment.”

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Link to study: https://go.nature.com/2IlIdjp

WildEarth Guardians (www.wildearthguardians.org) is a conservation non-profit whose mission is to protect and restore the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the American West. Guardians has offices in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington, and over 275,000 members and supporters worldwide. Follow Guardians on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates.