TheAralSea:AnUn-naturalDisaster
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1291433/Shocking-extent-mans-impact-worlds-water.html
JanetHall,OKAGETeacherConsultant
Thousandsoffishermen madetheirlivingfromthesea.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O-meLPfnnbw/Tnj0cGRHfOI/AAAAAAAAAM4/uurv7KUuW_c/s1600/aral+sea+fishing+past.jpg
Thereweresomany fishthatalocalcanning
factoryexportedfisharoundthe
world.
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4711627351983267&pid=15.1&w=285&h=175&p=0
http://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/sciencecommunication/files/2012/09/canning-factory.jpg
Ships traveled250milesfrombusynorthernportcitiestosouthernports.
http://www.4x4info.ru/files/2009/11/port-aralsk-550x412.jpg
Inthe1950s,theSovietUnionneededmorefarmland.Butmostoftheirlandwasnotarablebecauseitwastoocoldandfrozen– ortoohot
anddry.
http://jb-hdnp.org/Sarver/Maps/WC/wc09_ruseurasclimm.jpg
Butthereweretwolargerivers flowingintothesouthern
deserts.Sovietleadersdecidedtouseriverwaterforirrigation.
Theybuilthundredsofmilesofcanals intothedesertoverthenext20
years.
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4902787743875616&pid=15.1&w=238&h=175&p=0
Themaincropgrownwascotton,whichbroughtcash intotheSovietUnionasthecottonwas
exportedaroundtheworld.Cottonisalsoavery“thirsty”crop– requiringLOTSofwater.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01818/cotton-montage_1818007i.jpg
Fishermentriedtodigdeeper
channels outtotheseatokeeptheir
boatsconnectedtowhatwasleftof
thesea.
http://www.karakalpak.com/history/sov15.jpg
Buttheseadisappearedfaster thantheycoulddigthe
channels.
http://swittersb.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/ships-high-dry-aral-sea.jpg
http://www.orexca.com/aral_sea.shtml
By2010,theAralSeahadalmostdisappeared.Allthatwasleftwastwotothreesmall
lakes.
Aralsk,onceabusyportcity,nolongerhasenoughwater
forships.
http://www.4x4info.ru/files/2009/11/port-aralsk-550x412.jpg
http://aboutkazakhstan.com/images/aralsk-city-past-scenery.jpg
Likeotherinlandseas,theAralSeaissalty.Astheseashrank,saltconcentrations
becameextremely high.Thiskilledmostfish.
http://issuu.com/zoienvironment/docs/biodiversity-ca-en-ebook-/search/43
Thefishcanningfactoryisabandoned.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X4qe7-HyiEs/S86KQScWTCI/AAAAAAAACw8/IuJcvqNk40A/s1600/Aral_Sea_08.jpg
http://www.demotix.com/news/1559887/pictures-former-glory-aral-sea#media-1559558
http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/22/2273/OGDID00Z/posters/anthony-waltham-ship-s-graveyard-near-aralsk-on-seabed-due-to-water-losses-aral-sea-kazakhstan-central-asia.jpg
Muchofwhatusedtobeseaislitteredwithstranded,rustingfishingboats.
Dust storms causesicknessfrombreathingindustandsaltparticles.
http://www.libartslondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/aral-dust-2007.jpg
Chemicalssprayedoncropspoison theairandrunoffintothesmallamountofriver
waterstillleft.
http://www.naturepedic.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/spraying-pesticides.jpg
Half oftheAralSeawasinKazakhstan,
http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn3947/dn3947-1_552.jpg
TAKINGCHARGEOFWHATYOUCAN
Soin2005,Kazakhstanstartedbuildingadamtoseparate thenorthernpartoftheAralSea
http://unimaps.com/aral-north/northaral.gif
fromtherest.The
damholdsinwaterthat
comesfromthenorthern
river(SyrDarya).
Kazakhstansawimprovementswithinmonths.
Theseaisgettingcloser toAralskevery
year.Fishermenareeven
returningtothesea.
http://www.eosnap.com/public/media/2012/10/aralsea/20121009-aralsea-full.jpg
CouldthishappentowaterwaysintheUnitedStates?
ScientiststellusthattheColoradoRiverhasexistedforabout6millionyears.Itis
powerfulenoughtocarveouttheGrand Canyon.
http://www.humanandnatural.com/data/media/2/colorado_river_in_grand_canyon.jpg
Butwe useitswatertoirrigateourwesterndeserts andtoprovidewatertodeserttowns.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6073/6104914494_f81acd4f71_z.jpg
http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/617/overrides/water-grabs-greening-desert-nevada_61753_600x450.jpg
Sothis river…
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_cCJWygu-IUw/TEfq9KuwkdI/AAAAAAAAA_8/BkxXks-RHvo/s1600/whitewater-rafting-maneater-colorado-river.jpg
…could becomethis.
http://images.elephantjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/6a00d8341d07fd53ef01543543d292970c-500wi.jpg
For50 yearsnow,theColoradoRiverhasbeendyingoutbeforeitevenreachestheocean.Thewaterisusedupbeforethat.
AndwhataboutourGreat Lakes?Theirwaterlevelisdropping.Billionsofgallonsayeararetakenforirrigationandgeneral
wateruse.
http://biology.duke.edu/bio217/2005/ncy/GreatLakes_NASA.jpg
Anddifferentgroupsareincourt battlestryingtoclaimthesamewater.
http://www.okc.gov/waterrights/waterrights_header2.jpg