Can Colorado do more with less water?
Where Colorado will find the water it needs to thrive is a more urgent question than ever amid historic drought, undeniable climate change and unprecedented interstate conflicts over limited river supplies.
The Colorado Sun is embarking on a solutions journalism series asking who in the state is doing their share to save precious water. Our solutions-oriented reporting will assess whether specific water conservation projects can free up water at a large scale, or whether local conservation is always overwhelmed by uncontrollable natural conditions or immovable market realities.
The Colorado Sun series, “Can Colorado do more with less water?,” will create a body of work showcasing what may or may not be possible in creating water solutions across the state. From Akron to Aspen, we’re looking for signs of success or failure that will help lead us to water security.
It’s no secret that Colorado has a water crisis. From cloud-seeding in the Colorado River Basin to drought-tolerant landscaping in Denver, we’ve been tracking experiments across the state to uncover who is doing their part to save Colorado’s water, what’s working, and what isn’t.
One solution that keeps surfacing is low-water crops. With up to 90% of the state’s water going to agriculture, the potential impact could be massive. So, we talked to James Beard Award-winning author Adrian Miller to find out more about one crop in particular: black-eyed peas.
Though native to sub-Sarahan, West Africa, black-eyed peas can be found in recipes from the Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. They also require relatively little water. Compared with alfalfa, which needs up to 44 inches of water per season, black-eyed peas need only about 15 inches.
All that’s left to do is present them to the public in a way that people will eat them. Miller gave us some suggestions, but now we need your help. The Colorado Sun is creating a community cookbook filled with low-water recipes to share. We’re looking to feature ingredients such as black-eyed peas, rye, okra, mustard greens, rhubarb, figs and sunflower. Have a recipe in mind? Share it and tell us why you love it below for a chance to be featured.
Type of Story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
