​The Wildfire Problem: Imagine This as a Viable Solution

Governor Newsom has a plan to spend $500,000,000 ($500 million) on fire prevention. My perspective on this is Wildfires are not just a California problem. I read recently where the following states all had a wildfire problem:

• North Dakota
• Colorado
• New Mexico
• Oregon

These states and many more all suffered through extensive wildfires. Our climate is changing. I do not know to what degree we caused it, if at all. Whether one wants to recognize the problem or not, it is not just a California problem.

The challenge is we need more water
I think we are overlooking the obvious. The East and South have an abundance of water. Why not re-route it? 1.6 million gallons of water per second flows from Minnesota (Via Canada) through the Mississippi river before dumping the water into the Gulf of Mexico. That’s 5,000,000,000 gallons per hour. In 2015, California consumed 146 gallons per day, per person. Our population is approximately 40,000,000 (40 million). Simple math says we consume approximately 6 billion gallons per day. You see, there is a solution.

Imagine an inland waterway that runs from the Mississippi river to the Colorado river. Not a pipeline but an actual manmade tributary. Such a waterway would be a massive undertaking, but it will not only provide an almost unending supply of water but imagine the impact on our economy. 
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It will create …
   1. Another waterway for the mass transit of commerce
       a. Los Angeles Harbor covers 7500 acres of land and water and employs 529,000 people
   2. Recreational opportunities along the way
       a. Boating, fishing and swimming
   3. Real estate development
       a. Residential and commercial
     b. Hotels and Casinos. Mississippi is a burgeoning casino state. I’d think there was some Indian land on this route that would enjoy a casino.
   4. Farming
       a.Northern Texas and Southern Oklahoma and Arkansas will have a massive water supply allowing them the opportunity to farm the land
 
What am I missing?
This would take a massive public, private participation involving the federal government, many state and local governments and the creativity and resilience of the private sector.
John Lennon taught us to imagine. So, imagine away