By Sara Sciammacco
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkno/local-wkno-914188.mp3
Washington, DC – Shelby County is the only county in Tennessee at "extreme risk" of facing a potential water shortage by 2050, according to a new report by the consulting firm Tetra-Tech. Fayette and Tipton counties are at "high risk". This could pose serious impacts on crop production and the local economy. Sara Sciammacco reports from Washington.
The report concluded that water supplies won't be able to keep up with the demand in the already arid areas. Statewide there are 66 other counties at high or moderate risk of water shortages. Peter Altman is the climate campaign director with the Natural Resources Defense Council.
"The source of the problem which in this case is warming temperatures and we are experiencing this right now and as temperatures continue to rise it means our water problems are going to continue to get worse," Altman said.
Altman says the pressure is on federal lawmakers to pass legislation that will reduce carbon emissions, and also on water users to better manage the resource. Farmers in the at-risk counties produced more than 800 million dollars worth of corn, soybeans and nursery products in 2007.
"It is going to be hard to sustain that if you cannot grow as many crops because you are just hampered by water. When you got less water available it means you got to invest more in water conserving equipment. It means that you may have to change up how you farm crops, it may mean that you got to change up your crops entirely and to find those that are more resistant or can just make due with less water and that may change what your revenue is," Altman said.
Even without climate change the report found that 24 Tennessee counties would still be at risk - with Shelby County remaining at extreme risk. Legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate - where negotiations continue and divisions remain over when to begin debate.