The CRT was established
after an atypically wet cycle, by people who were decidedly incurious about long term precipitation patterns.
http://www.inkstain.net/fleck/2022/01/a-lack-of-curiosity-ab...
We would barely have to cut agricultural use in order to completely cover the water needs of doubling the entire population of the US southwest. Yes, surface and ground water sources are "stressed", but residential use is only going to get more and more efficient on a per-capita basis. Even though growing population creates more absolute need, in as world where agriculture is flood-irrigating fields or spray irrigating alfalfa (losing an outrageous amount to evaporation), we should start with the "easy" problems first. Pay farmers to install drip systems, for a start.
