by James Burke
This column has previously described THE SPIRIT OF FIRE AND WATER—An admirable spirit when fire and water are in balance. The fireman of an Iron Horse knows this and constantly adjusts his fire and water to attain steam, while maintaining safety. Most of our electrical energy is generated by a closely controlled combination of fire and water. —Fire fueled by carbon and hydrogen to evaporate water to spin steam turbines to drive electrical generators. In the west another quarter of our electrical energy is generated by water driven by gravity through hydroturbines as it returns to the sea where it was born by fires of the sun. These delicate balances of Fire and Water are more critical only within our bodies where carbon and hydrogen and water are constantly combining to support our existence. In what we have come to consider normal seasons the winter sun is busy above the southern seas evaporating the waters to form salt free clouds and generating winds to send them to northern mountains where they are stored as snow and ice for the coming summer. The springtime sun then swings to the north to begin the melting and evaporation of the precious water to provide the powerful rivers we have come to depend on and the atmospheric moisture all life requires. By the time the summer sun starts boiling thunderstorms, there is enough moisture afoot among the flora to squelch the fiery threats of most lightning strikes.
Recently
this beautiful balance has become distorted. Explanations have
exhausted
four languages and distracted attentions from required remedies. The
bottom
line is—The Water did not arrive. The snowpack measured a small
fraction
of “normal.” Streambeds expected to be knee deep in April floodwater
were
as dry as would be expected in October. The heat of the sun untempered
by evaporation has been free to burn vegetation to a crisp. The
“normally”
expected thunderstorms of early summer have sent forth their scouting
strikes
of lightning but pitifully little rain to restrain their fires.
Energies
of the sun not absorbed by evaporation are free to generate flame
fanning
winds. It is an explosive situation.
Ironically—before the firefighers—thousands of others came to help to consume the waters of The San Juans not only within the mountains themselves but all along The San Juan and Colorado Rivers to the sea —Encouraged by those who say there’s a warranty on water. Old water rights not seriously used for years now with new owners are facing their first real test. In the fullness of time the courts may determine who held the rights to the water that never appeared.
The stone structures of Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon as well as an old Iron Horse I know seem to say:
“Be ready for running out of water.”
Copyright 2002-2006 James Burke