What the megadrought means to the American West

Exposing the Big Game's avatarThe Extinction Chronicles

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-the-megadrought-means-to-the-american-west/

JULY 18, 2021 / 9:09 AM/ CBS NEWS

https://www.cbsnews.com/embed/video/?v=ac2bb21f1a7cb7379d2eb00d37e007e7#vVmJbttIEv0Vg0CE3bUoNQ%2BRlAfCQLbjGWNzGFayE6xlCE12U%2BoVr7BJHRH071vVpERZtuMkkxkkEZt91V31itlotCzSLKJr7azIS97WGF%2BIgGtnMJBzWNLa2kIwnmpnG00UPJba2d1GK9YZ7lmkDNYFg6HtMzdwfaoHhLm67XBX71uhpxPb61NmsJ4X4N44W93y8BpPfMrtQJbv3q8Wy5K4V%2BKTJ%2Fv%2FfeNdsref%2FKExHMJuGZVT2Lmc0UIvZlyP%2BZSyPC2nswLGNJF6kaoFGvNcBDTRl1wWcLAQRYQM%2FgEnT2DDycHJE3XypEjVwrA%2BefIH73Q6GipgDgdhEJZR9EP3KA5gmCYwEX344SsKEcOAxpl2Zjim4xiWY5qEEOCxzGkh0kQ76xGjeX1DfR4BKeKdmQZcEFXvCQgCVorplEs0o0Ttz4oik2fj7rgb%2BDLhS2l0YCCAXiGCTpDG4%2B6s9MddMe7m465JTGPcJe64a3jjLidg6NBmusmpp9u9XqjT0HT0nhGYNqV9Tsxw3C1mZewnVETjrmOTleWQcdfzbGqHTkBZ6PqWaXHiB6bP%2FcBlpud4cGpn3pDmcUQTprs9h1imXl%2FR%2BV82Bclmf7sIhumRlWuCDKHtOJ5DXGDZ6Pu%2BZ1LqmL3QMm3TMbj7jTJs21qWQ6zx5cc8eiCMzCKIwA6No2lHpOMuzUCAhQn%2FMA7H3ZfiZtytLx53m%2BA9uD%2FLU9aByFUrnVp1lbrqFyAFCptF8lhrRt%2B0SL%2FnGH3H7Y27SixjojbGVBY878RW6e2omn872TDNY1oAWZqhElVQjLsrPc749OPtG9hRHil7uVw%2B5KVW8nemHKVqIa%2FjLEV%2BtLOQRhKyKSRQEajUiQ5rUohh6lHwB4%2FphsFNvc8MUyfE8ELuUUJ80mQ9WSaMrvU4zRORKKcXPKd5MINcfVevnuxW78GdaM6T4gNSfAfMwQ2jas%2Fbxzecr6std8d74B4aRQ2BPfl7cFieCZkyOAY5R3IqMQFpmGgkn8ZAu1ooM%2FA%2FKfc6gPuGQQAz51EazPfpSH6UPB%2BVvgxy4XO23y6zNJFpvts346vhJQ9pGaFdSRv%2BaGr2vJm1%2Bm271%2B71YYEy1Ha4rH4nkUjmD%2BzthhC4nUUnXMZ53Ek4WI6ycXcKTvZrIAUbLMAbJrVHTOoaOFlyfwKu26IyWQ56Jnif0Qoo7H4pFlthRKeDV%2BY5jQMfHjwOcnjIqMjUQ01%2BLtQD6i4%2BQp8yXFsnATySUh2gvBCtmBf5wCCm1Wq4gKgK6%2FEra%2Fhbmk4jfjm8vhgNrycLAuuLPBnc3Q7fXb5%2Fe98Cu2SDRUwzA%2BlB6NgteSDSIjvY%2FMsE9JcIDkZJJhBPExD3hlyQC8sdXuomubB1%2B%2FWVqw%2BvzJ5%2B%2Fvr84txwLq%2B83usWaA1smmHwTSDeBkr7wN0r8wr%2BHkVcazEt4eaNemxb8stgg3CE5xMpvvBtawYB9cINGaIROIaPbUuF3GCjHttWBWcGm%2Bq5bcHdBWYJRUWNti0UVMgJvA821XPb2oSxnEBE0Vhuf9FUcNFYVU%2F0EoQ%2BX%2FET9ENQK1RnpVcEA%2BIbEQ%2F6C%2Bw8RX85RW85RV85RU85RT85RS85RR85RQ85Rf84Re9AbAX%2BASEIDtLWDqmjj8Cd1evZIx9B6cBLYMfO9DCDnoJSoq%2BcKk%2FBMH8gFHrLw0OPPQbWv8lnFO564DVfy9JYYNBdYE%2FtN8jcF3w99B3ME%2BA9L9yU1Vi29h9tn7S12oe0A1C88yM8V%2FtPTbXypVoJlRfhSu1Pqtw3B3bYegvTRU6DOWZY9K00lkGaczWG8mkR0iOeAw5kw6mL89G7hu%2FAgal%2FYZKEl0ROZDGZIosoWjVDswlFC70bd4f7PUGhnNcw9jNKQ4d3I1cBVZaQT8Es61mYtTv1MkjpUOZPVjHyHpermzzNeF6s%2F83XWCZtlzPacyzDZUbP7tt9w7Qsajna9l55OVUoFhRX8OkaxzA3S1lV93nClAR1FQ05LcqcMz1AkMwxNmuDA%2BdQarBsNf0CRm4mYLAHAqsZYJIgjSIeVGhifwyQ4NHd4%2B6vaO90OuVsIpIB0Y7sK%2BTrhPoRVruq26I56DDiwxL4z7ErutMswmjA%2FEB3ECk8AxLuj47uqnltoZN%2FzARjPDnx11AB%2BT8P9qvWy3LCwOn3Hd00KNNtizk69RjRfcMD7Os6fsgw3usjN6V%2FCeKhZQCW6cTVDe%2FEsM5I%2F8zsN9t2jc7yxUZnB51O6m5td8HOLkkB6p3Us%2Fvwq5ebvlTIS75ArlR%2Bnu42qIyMrSomBXj%2BLhCQPYWYcHVU2fUpvIXL9Z2YDsGvxYIDz%2F4uR1x%2FB6grDnDZESfQqIlYQBTae1WM0jJXCQcMelJHtJ9DK3FTJxFFeld%2BkNFJoxcAXAoFyidgHCBgdRdPdHTMtSobezPBG5qE54nezER0jjCYMtXVRiLEq6hqbnguq1rB80Uq4AWVysGAjObrhofyiYVrppZClzDuWb7umzystEetkOjE7BuGZxueC7CuNlWtvVpq1CkHdsoYIwtrnIgOlvEAbOEJegj2Htr2oCk%2F7rketQFVP%2FIjXUDMmaA3KdAHt6rdJ6q0h076F1LG62sd%2FZlrVOJ7kc0f7pO2O5A%2BzQp8FDSfAn6pEmRdeu%2F%2Bci994jPXQX2uYnyHDA4TSqBQx%2Fd%2FkGr8cEKhZ1FKuEiTUCixoQ9ZpvkchwxTmmc6kAs%2B090Iai3W9upFObMab9sHlQ%2FhoC4SzPdK2mlVvu829Rj2lHOUIC2TIhdchd8U5QxzTKZ46gtFrc%2FgZ76EH4UzPuOcxB%2BKW8RnlAYTyZpjU3hwPS2Pr1czyZfjfVLQ450Sb4zR0BmSL2bVd0XwxgRhHDIuErgHCxn7mIgCTyEaSH0V9pvDaay6WGaLx%2FPqa9rB5Ka%2B4SriK8hLKpXUsQucVo6BYBLP31kmaffIffsOcFnbrEam0bYMHFhO2%2FRwCjA8YtN74C4oZZHGHw49HGBLAsBpwecK6wQk9KGqBko%2BxlevV8GMJlM%2BAn%2BryotLLM%2Bo3DPg2GVX01BebNfoK6jTiAB5x1RUvsbyI07bapsNc%2FgZYS%2B%2B%2BfMEsJ4RwCSPBbC%2BX4AHbFs%2Fj%2B3ec2wbR2xfJ8Gf5BrYQGZ%2BFufuMed3CN4cw%2BkhsKuHvWboNEO3GXrNsL8fOqQZGs3QbIZWM2yoOQ01p6HmNNSchprTUHMbam5DzW2ouQ01t6HmNtTchprbUHM9yCZVQhgB5Jqvn7LfQwvJat9PM1L%2FubA2LXAvxVyWPU5hT0Ih7FBoJvnrGKrWpVjsGgzJi1seQu2bfYRiA10MG0Vp0Xycg%2FULQCf50Wr9f0FCYhq9BuKCRm9S2nyle7x0AX0RTaqiUx3nqtcZgYYifss%2Fl1gJHywNsWbdQsMGtRLVuPsfKPVd73ZfLpbqu977nCkcf787%2FTsUe56fQ6NzeLjiS8m0N9D7BPl8XqpaQ9gtonTafs%2BQQWDnvPq2WUteEb%2FlGceWb8h2ukR4CZ0LhfqrOjnNISGYkprUZlR9PQHV%2Fofm8kHB17COa99sVPW1taiB9WNs%2F9QnBtRdDUMRceErXFXDb%2Bj%2BmFjoguk0z%2BlafeUN0nQujpiZVLhKrYwARgF2uqHFTCFN%2FH4K91SLCkFKDvAbbYfQpfRHB6%2Bl5FcAwYob7NeaAELLbLf%2FBw%3D%3D

The American West was once seen as a place of endless possibilities: grand vistas, bountiful resources, and cities that somehow grew out of deserts. Now, manifest destiny has become a manifest emergency.

A scorching drought made worse by climate change is draining reservoirs at an alarming pace, fueling massive wildfires and deadly heat waves, and withering one of the most important agricultural economies in the country.

“I’m really concerned, I’m really worried,” said Joe Del Bosque, who has been growing melons and other crops in California’s Central Valley since 1985. He’s weathered droughts before, but nothing quite like this.https://www.cbsnews.com/newsletters/widget/e884?v=ac2bb21f1a7cb7379d2eb00d37e007e7&view=compact#tVNda9swFP0rRk8bRI1kp47tt44O1pdRaPe0lCBL14moLRlJjgkl%2F31XjrNmhb0M9ibfcz%2FOPff4jdg%2BaGs8qd4ISKuAVASKYkUW5KBhxC9pu17IgIHeeh2TMXjnPYTki1VHclqQ4IR81WYXm2j%2F1Yi6BUWq4AZYEOGCli3cDWFv3QOGf5KMKSFVLWkuCkE5h5SWiqeUMV40UAjGakZePpR%2BFx3EYll7A6NPPu21UmCS%2BthqA5%2Bv8uMQkuWNzMsypykXiq4ylVNRKEZrXghRrvO6UXHJueRxqO9FiMunLOWUrSkvEp5VrKzS8j3tWYc2Jo17EZKwh6SDnVDODrt9wLcwPgl2ApCs01KYZAQfrhoce5g0NQFM2M5RxBUctLzACvxrsD2Gtb%2BHQ2QV5Re7S0IUYKsDdBjGm8A3DS5q4wejxDHprDPxHC9n9AnkfLYzTi%2F4GZ57OvA9GkEfADnXiCEDLSctU5HzLJ5qfVuov91rLjif6SOTBRk8uHmSMEhmQVrd6UCq1W9xnuzg5CRP7ZO4IibVThj12IrQWNdNZOb7byP17btSHt2LI93xObLwUY3BTwr8ATyoCWrWTEGR1bROoTlvJLKGUZaWnBcrXqxvy4t880bz3LgniFYPXXR772yj2ys4FmAKmHg1RFX8P2TcGN3Q%2FnAthvch9L7aLDfLcRxv5sIb%2FM82y%2FjCMNqLoovolb3oZC8a7ARc7EWjvTbL2R3%2Fuf0sxL%2B3OZ1%2BAQ%3D%3D

He showed correspondent Ben Tracy a field of dirt that he’s left fallow – there’s not enough water to plant a crop here this summer.

Tracy asked, “How much of your land have you left unplanted this year?”

“About a third,”…

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