Arctic Water for California
A big, big plan.
For more see my book “Lost States”
The Arctic has a lot of fresh water—California needs water. This observation led to one of the most colossal engineering ideas in human history; a plant to divert water from northern Canada and Alaska; and send it to the Golden State.
This was a serious proposal, developed by the Army Corp of Engineers in the 1950s. Called the North American Water and Power Alliance, the plan called for a series of dams, canals, and reservoirs that would capture water from the Yukon and other northern rivers, store it in a massive reservoir in the Rocky Mountain Trench (a 1,000-mile-long valley in British Columbia), and then send it cascading southward. The goal? To irrigate millions of acres of farmland, generate hydroelectric power, and quench the thirst of Los Angeles and other cities in the western U.S. Plus, all that water would come in handy for firefighting.
Fight California fires with Canadian water?
It would have cost more than the Interstate highway system—and required nuclear power plants to pump water over the Rockies. Environmentalists were not too thrilled, since the plan’s reservoirs would flood pristine wilderness.
Canada wasn’t too keen on the idea of sending its most precious resource to the United States, but proponents explained that Canada would be well-compensated. While Canadians might reject selling their water to Americans, they are happy to offer other Canadian liquids, including maple syrup, and Molson beer.
More recently, California’s recurring wildfires have led some leaders to suggest California acquire more water from points north. But the North American Water and Power Alliance plan doesn’t seem to be back on the table.
Yet.