The views expressed in this column are the opinion of the writer and not necessarily those of the ownership or management of this newspaper. A friend from Arizona had one comment and one question about urban Utah. His comment was that our freeway system and major highways are efficient and free of gridlock when compared to "the mess" in his Arizona community. ("Your legislators planned for growth; we didn't," he said.)

As for his questions, I had no answer--but it also was connected to growth. "With all this building," he said, "where will you folks get your water?"

Like you, I don't think too much about it. If I want water I turn on the tap or reach in the refrigerator for a bottle. None of us is opposed to the idea of conservation, but I'm not sure we fully understand the challenge.

For a period of years now, Utahns have read news reports about our shrinking snowpack and once again water experts are calling 2007 water totals woefully inadequate. Las Vegas has already grabbed Utah water and is now attempting to pump water from small communities known for sand, not slots. It's easy to bad-mouth Las Vegas, but we're in a similar position.

Look at the population patterns. People are moving out of the cold and snowy northeast and upper Midwest. They're moving to the desert, and they're not bringing the water with them. The building boom may be on hold in Arizona and is leveling off a tad in Nevada, but housing is still strong in Utah. One realtor told a news reporter, "We just can't build homes fast enough."

It's nice to be popular, but not when you are the second driest state in the nation.

Water experts talk of the need to conserve, but I question whether Utahns will face up to the needed changes in behavior.

Will we demand that car washes install expensive equipment to recycle water? How will we react to restrictions on watering golf courses and our personal lawns and gardens? Will we destroy agriculture by restricting water uses for farmers and ranchers?

However you feel about the theory of global warming, the bottom line is clear. When you have more and more people moving to a desert environment, there will eventually be too little water. While I don't have the answers, I just wish we'd worry more and expect greater minds than mine to offer solutions.

The Duke of Edinburgh pondered this problem. He said beer was the biggest waste of water in his country since "you drink half a pint and you flush two gallons."

If you don't want Prohibition, pray for a snow-sloppy April.