The Stream, April 8: Colorado Farmers and Cities Compete for Water

Farmers in Colorado are struggling to afford the distribution costs of irrigation water in the state during this drought season. Cities bought agricultural water rights for decades and sold the excess back to farmers, NPR reported, but farmers are left dry in drought years.

Toxicity
An underground storage pool at the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant is leaking tens of thousands of gallons of radioactive water. The leak, The New York Times reported, highlights the challenges if containing the water contaminated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan two years ago.

U.S.-Mexico Dispute
Mexico will release more water into the Rio Grande river for agricultural and other uses on the Texas side of the river. As severe drought has reduced water supplies around Texas, the Associated Press reported, tensions rose between with the state and Mexico over allocations from a 1944 water-sharing agreement.

Water from Gas
An offshore natural gas rig in Israel is improving the country’s water supply. The gas, The Dallas Morning News reported, powers desalination plants and alleviates some supply concerns (subscriber access).

The Stream is a daily digest spotting global water trends. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.