Mississippi-to-West water pipeline idea is the kind of hubris that led to today's shortage

The progressive era and its aftermath in the U.S. brought with it the naive underlying cultural assumption that our environment could be reengineered on a massive scale to suit us. It saw the creation of water projects like the Hoover Dam, and the desert became less inhospitable.

Now, facing devastating water shortages, the idea of addressing shortfalls with a pipeline from the Midwest is being bandied about in hopes that one more layer of engineering will keep the game of expanding in the desert going a little longer. Even imagining that an agreement was reached and Mississippi water was diverted, there are areas closer to the source that need water as well. Corn-grower Nebraska is in drought, the Ogallala aquifer is being depleted. Vegas isn't the only area facing a water crisis.

Previous commenters have admitted that we didn't plan well enough. I would submit that the answer to the unintended consequences of engineering failure isn't another layer of engineering and unintended consequences. The hard truth is that we'll need to address the crisis from the demand side, bringing our consumption closer in line with the obvious signs our landscape provides: We live in a desert.

Marcus Ellis, Caldwell, Idaho

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Mississippi-to West water pipeline idea is hubris