[Warning] Cattle Innovation Around Colorado River Puts 53 Fish Species at Risk!

Cattle has already proven to be harmful to the environment as they contribute a huge percentage to our greenhouse gasses. Still, now that cattle innovation has seemed to come too far, we face the extinction of 53 fish species around the Colorado River. Could agricultural technology be bad for us, or is it because of the massive production of cows in general?

Cattle meat is one of the most in-demand meets in the market today as everyone enjoys a good steak and more beef products. Still, with cattle farms around the Colorado River, the toxic waste has become a threat to the survival of 53 different fish species.

How did Cattle innovation create this much harm?

According to a study by the University of Delaware, the irrigation which was used to grow crops for cattle has been dumping their waste, which is huge on chemicals into the Colorado River. Although we may think that vegetables and plants are healthy, not all of them have healthy growing processes, and some are even huge on chemicals, which can still pose a threat to the human body as well as the environment.

Aside from the irrigation going towards the river, the quantity of the water has also depleted because of how this has become a cheaper and easier source of water for the plants to be fed to the cattle to grow. About 55 percent of the whole Colorado River is reported to go to growing food for the cows, which then limits the source of healthy water left for the fishes inside the river to survive.

The river has gone to an all-time low

According to scientists, about 20% has already been lost over 100 years. Thanks to both the agricultural environment as well as the increase in local temperature. The change has been too drastic for the Colorado River to be able to replenish its resources through natural means. This has been a huge down set for the river as it seems to lose more than it can accumulate. If things continue at this rate, the Colorado River may not be around for much longer.

The 53 species of fish are in great danger

According to scientists, there are about 1,000 specific locations that pose a huge risk to the risk because of the water flow being depleted. There are also 690 locations where irrigation has been the cause of damage to the Colorado River because of its being used for growing crops to feed the cattle. The Colorado River is a cheap and accessible source of water for farmers around this area

There is a suggestion made by scientists to protect the livelihood of the fish in the river.

There is an idea that the government should pay farmers not to cultivate their fields for a particular season to give the Colorado River enough time to be able to recuperate its lost resources. This idea is plausible when it is used for irrigation later on.