Water is essential to life on Earth—yet access to fresh water is waning due to the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and frequent extreme weather events contribute to a growing water crisis. The United States is home to a variety of ecosystems—as such, the country is practically a petri-dish of water-related environmental and social issues. Every region of the US is experiencing the water crisis in different—and complicated—ways.
One of the more famous water crisis issues, the western United States is going dry. The combination of drought, changing climate, and increasing demand for water due to population booms and industrial needs has led to what some are calling a "water war." States like California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado are fighting over dwindling resources. Agricultural and mining industries require water to support a growing population’s needs, while Indigenous Americans’ water rights are often disregarded to direct water to other states.
Even as the situation grows more dire, unrelated investors are buying up water rights throughout the southwest to make a profit off the dwindling resource. The whole circumstance is a mess, and it is clear that something must be done to address the pressing issue of water access.
Copper Mining and the Water Crisis
A top contender for the most problematic climate solution is copper and its associated mining. While copper is necessary for certain climate change solving-technologies, like electric vehicles, most modern copper mining techniques require a lot of water. And as of 2020, the United States is the 5th largest producer of copper in the world, behind South American countries and China. Arizona is the locus of copper mining in the US, despite the fact that Arizona is basically in a permanent drought.
While developing local mining can promote a more localized economy and ethical mining practices, as discussed in our article on Li-ion batteries, unfortunately it comes with major costs. And when it comes to water, the cost of copper may outweigh the benefits—especially when there are reasonable alternatives.
Let’s consider Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, or Oak Flat, in Arizona. Chi’chil Biłdagoteel is a sacred place to the San Carlos Apache tribe and other Southwestern Indigenous nations. It is also a major rock climbing area close to Phoenix, the capital of Arizona. Climbers have been helping the Apache Stronghold, a non-profit group made up of members from the San Carlos Apache tribe and allies, prevent a copper mine from developing in the area. While it might sound good to have a local copper source, the companies who want to mine the land are not even US-owned. Rio Tinto and BHP, Australian and Canadian mining companies, own the Resolution Copper project.
To get to Chi’chil Biłdagoteel from Phoenix, you drive down Highway 60 East for almost an hour. As you drive, you will first notice the desert as you leave the Phoenix suburbs. The land becomes a flat expanse of sand, prickly pears and saguaro freckling the landscape. Then, as you enter Superior, a massive dome of rock emerges from the sand, covered in palo verde and razor-sharp grasses. The dome, called Picketpost, marks the beginning of the magnificent landscape of Queen Creek, the area where Chi’chil Biłdagoteel resides.
As you continue east, huge cliffs of tuff appear on either side of the highway, jaundiced from years of wind and erosion. These cliffs hold millennia of ceremony for Indigenous tribes, from the historical Hohokam to the modern San Carlos Apache. In the words of a high school student, who acted as a runner for Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, at a protest in Phoenix,
“Even if you’re not religious, the land speaks to you.”
Want to know whose land you live on? Check out Native Land Digital to find out.
Water is a main point of contention when it comes to the copper mine. “The mine relies on Colorado River water and underground wells,” scientist Dr. Len Necefer explained at a Phoenix event protesting the mine. “Local communities rely on these waters.” Mining operations would likely damage or destroy local aquifers, contaminate nearby water sources, and impact sacred springs.
While the mining company anticipates being able to reuse some amount of water, either for mining or agricultural purposes, they are still predicted to use 250 billion gallons of water—that is 18% of Arizona’s total water allowance from the Colorado River.
According to one report, the mine will use “enough water to supply a city of 140,000 annually for its estimated life.” At the same time, Phoenix is struggling to support its growing population with its current water supply as the Colorado River gets reallocated and water levels at Lake Mead falls.
Even in the instance that Resolution Copper reuses its water, it’s not as rosy as it sounds. For one, the mining company and its advocates suggest that they can treat the mining water to be used for agricultural purposes. However, the drainage of acidic mining byproducts have long been documented to destroy arable land. Crops can accumulate heavy metals from irrigation water and soil in their structures, making popular foods like soy and wheat a health risk. As Arizona is a major exporter of crops like greens and grains, the impact of the mine could be felt across state lines.
The negative impacts of copper mining and other extractive processes on water resources and local communities cannot be ignored.
What can we do about it?
Activities like copper mining are thought to be necessary to combat the climate crisis. The Biden-Harris Administration have been reviewing the US’s reliance on other countries for metals since 2021, attempting to localize mining operations. While it is necessary to acquire resources locally to reduce our carbon emissions, alternative solutions that do not require sacrificing water resources are often looked over.
The US has plenty of alternatives that could be adopted rather than continuing to extract resources that reduce water access, Indigenous American communities, and the health of millions of people. As Dr. Necefer said at the protest in Phoenix,
“We don’t have to repeat the past. Now that we have the knowledge, we can be empowered to change the future.”
What are some of the solutions to reducing the human impact on water resources?
Reuse & recycle!
Recycling metals like copper produces less CO2 and requires less energy than mining new copper. Unfortunately, recycling metals is often a passed-over solution. In 2018, only 25% of 1.8 million tons of domestic e-waste was recycled or reused.
The need to prioritize the recycling and reuse of copper and rare earth metals from discarded waste, like computers and car batteries, is obvious. Countries like Japan have spearheaded the effort—the US government needs to lead the charge as well.
Promote better urban plans
Mining advocates often argue that we cannot solve the climate crisis without mining because we need the copper and rare earth metals for electric vehicles, solar panels, and other clean energy solutions. However, we often look over seemingly obvious alternative solutions.
The public is often told that to reduce emissions from transportation, we need electric vehicles. However, a major alternative to decarbonizing the transportation sector is… Drum roll… Public transportation.
Using public transportation instead of electric cars is an effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Public transportation, such as buses and trains, can transport a large number of people at once, reducing the number of individual vehicles on the road. This results in fewer emissions from cars and less traffic congestion.
Additionally, public transportation often uses cleaner fuel sources and can be more energy-efficient than individual electric cars. Public transportation helps cities reduce their carbon footprint and create a system that benefits both the environment and the community.
Cities should also prioritize the implementation of bike routes over electric cars. Creating better bike routes will encourage more people to choose biking as a mode of transportation, reducing the number of cars on the road and ultimately decreasing carbon emissions. This will also lead to improved air quality, reduced traffic congestion, and a healthier population.
Plus, investing in bike infrastructure is more cost-effective than building electric car infrastructure. Building bike lanes is less expensive than building electric fuel stations. Additionally, biking is a more accessible and safer mode of transportation for people of all income levels, whereas electric cars are still largely a luxury item and can still cause driving-related fatalities. By prioritizing bike routes, cities can promote sustainability, create a more equitable transportation system, and keep their citizens safe.
Listen to & Put Indigenous Communities in Charge
We need to listen to Indigenous peoples as to how we use water and other resources—more importantly, we should put Indigenous people in control of resource management. Indigenous peoples from the Queen Creek area, like the San Carlos Apache, Nnēē, Pueblo, and O’odham, have lived in connection with the land for centuries to millennia. They understand how to utilize natural resources in a way that respects the environment and ensures its longevity.
Indigenous communities have been fighting to protect their resources and rights to their land for centuries. By centering Indigenous voices and putting them in control of decisions, we can learn from their experiences and incorporate their knowledge into actions around water management. Doing so will promote practices with long-lasting effects that benefit both the environment and the communities that depend on these resources, present and future.
As Joanne Yazzie, a Diné (Navajo) woman, said about the diminishing water levels at Lake Powell,
“The lake does help the people. Not only us, but down the [Colorado River] where it’s even drier. We have to think of the whole picture.”
It is essential that we value the expertise of Indigenous communities when it comes to water management and give control back to the historical caretakers of the land.
What can you do?
As an individual, it can be hard to know what to do in the face of water rights issues—but you have so much power. Use your voice and your vote to protest activities that will harm the environment and Indigenous communities.
For example, the Biden-Harris Administration wants to allow Resolution Copper to take next steps in Queen Creek. Call or write to your congresspeople to demand operations discontinue. You can send or use this pre-written letter as an example to ask Arizona Senators Kelly and Sinema, as well as your senators and the Forest Service, cease mining at Chi’chil Biłdagoteel.
You can also support initiatives that will mediate climate change while improving our society. Call your local, state, and federal representatives to demand more public transportation initiatives, bike lanes, and laws preventing billionaires from buying up water rights in the west.
Sites like 5calls.org are helpful places to stand. It will help you find out what federal representatives you should call about the water crisis. For example, you can call your representatives about fully funding public transportation in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process, which is happening right now. The deadline is April 14, so call ASAP to get your voice heard!
Lastly, think about ways you can help center Indigenous people in the conversation around water management.
Not only can you call your representatives to demand the inclusion of Indigenous voices in public policy, but you can use your time and money to support groups doing the work. Organizations like Apache Stronghold and Pueblo Action Alliance are fighting for water rights for Indigenous communities.
Additionally, as mentioned in our article about Tu Deh-Kah, these groups are working to promote Indigenous-led clean energy projects in North America: First Nations Major Project Coalition, Indigenous Energy Initiative, and Divest, Invest, Protect. Volunteering or donating to these organizations can help protect water rights and promote clean energy.
The US has all the solutions we need to reduce the impact of the water crisis in the US. We must empower ourselves and each other to create a future for countless generations, where access to clean water is a fundamental right for all.
Recommended Resources
📰 A Growing Movement to Reclaim Water Rights for Indigenous People
📺 The Apache war against copper mining: 'this is an act of desecration’
🎧 The Tribe that's Moving Earth (and Water) to Solve the Climate Crisis