The alfalfa growers hold snior water rights, so they can do whatever they feel like while everybody else suffers

Because "they" (the alfalfa growers & livestock corps) care about short-term financial profit, not long-term environmental sustainability.

Alfalfa needs to be dried before you bale it; otherwise (ironically) it spontaneously combusts. It's cheapest to dry it out on the ground for a while between cutting and baling. If it rains during that time the crop is ruined.

It's too risky to rely on weather cooperation in a wetter region. Much safer to rely on irrigation in a desert.

I feel like I link this video at any opportunity, but Climate Town does have a really good explainer video on the entire mess with the Colorado River basin here, including the incentives behind growing alfalfa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XusyNT_k-1c

I dont disagree with what youre saying being done, but it really has absolutely nothing to do with this article other than tangentially…

The US is a major contributor to climate change, but its far from the only one. The lack of water isnt from corruption. Its from climate induced draught that is eliminating snowpack. And the centuries old water management systems that were never designed for there to be no snowpack.

Even if trumps ilk, every congresscritter, and every billionaire were dragged out in the street tomorrow it wouldnt have any effect on the lack of water induced by climate change

Proper placing of blame is hard.

Let’s blame a minority. I heard trans people are using women’s showers causing all the water to run out.