Lake Mead Officially Drops under 1075 feet. Possibly Triggering Water Restrictions

The government controls everything....


I refuse to believe this, because if it were true nothing would get done and civilization as we know it would collapse.

.

Oh heavens!
One does not drink the water in Las Vegas.
It's the hardest water in the nation.....or close to it.

It is nasty. Sad ugly lake too. Desert lakes never are
very attractive. Well, at least the man made ones.

Yep, and stories every year about someone just diving in, and then not resurfacing. Who knows what lurks below!!

GREAT book.

Well worth a read if one wants to get a glimmer of understanding about how "water" has shaped development in the Desert SW (which includes California)

ok, at what point do casinos get shut down?

When the casino's run out of stooges that will lose money!

The Las Vegas metro area receives about 3% of the water released from Lake Mead--it is a drop in the bucket in comparison. Also, the lake is not the only source of water for Nevada.

any disaster is far down the road--like years away. The current water level can easily be maintained until the new cycle begins. In a few months time Lake Powell will begin dumping water in preparation for receiving winter runoff. Unless there is an exceptional winter, we will find ourselves in the same situation we are in today. However, the water level of Lake Mead will, in fact-guaranteed, begin to rise at a fairly rapid rate before winter.

The one thing that is an uncomfortable possibility is that this winter will be drier than normal. In view of current reserves, that would be bad. But...that probability seems to be minor in that this winter should be much better due to El Nino.

Having said all that, if the next two winters do not deliver as those should--I"M GETTING THE HELL OUTA HERE!

So they are building extra straw tunnels to extract the water, as explained in article I can't link here.


"The project, called the “Third Straw,” is one of three tunnels that have been dug beneath the lake to extract water—tunnels that have been dug deeper and deeper as lake levels drop. The First Straw is good down to 1050 feet above sea level, which the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation originally predicted the lake might reach by January of 2016. The Second Straw goes down to 1000 feet, and the Third Straw is currently being built to reach 860 feet. Now it looks like they might need that Third Straw even sooner then they planned. It’s expected to be completed this summer."

Which means they are spending tax dollars on construction to dig more tunnels, that also means the lake will probably drop to the 860 foot level, as it will be sucked dry by the straws.

Yes!

Way above average snowpack in the CO Rockies which feeds off the western slopes into the CO River; where is ALL this water going now?

Check this:

[link to www.snowpack.water-data.com]

And this:

...
Before the May rains, this year's inflow to Powell was predicted to be 42 percent of normal. It's now projected to be 70 percent, Cutler said.


"It's great news, but it's still 70 percent of average. We're not out of the woods," he said.


The four Upper Basin states are required to deliver a certain aamount of water each year to the three Lower Basin states (California, Arizona, Nevada) based on an average over 10 years. This is measured at Lee's Ferry in the Grand Canyon below Lake Powell. In addition, both Powell and Mead have critical water levels where they could no longer generate hydroelectric power. It's a major priority to stay above those levels.


The forecast is for Powell to be about 14 feet above that level at the end of this year, Cutler said. "We're in much better shape than before," he said. The water level in Mead is about 7 feet above the critical level for hydro generation, referred to as the minimum power pool.

[link to groups.google.com (secure)]

Last Edited by UseLessRepEATER on 06/25/2015 08:30 PM

Streamflow is usually due to groundwater tables intercepting the natural ground surface which are rivers and streams. Surface runoff doesn't contribute that much to overall stream flow. The groundwater tables are being depleted, so any runoff from the snowmelt must first go into the groundwater tables, which are already depleted.

First, you have to recharge the groundwater tables.

.

Not in the mountains.

You want to see where the water is at?
Look here
[link to lakepowell.water-data.com]

Today; inflow 44 thousand CFS with outflow of 13 thousand CFS. This is a combination of melt off and heavy recent rain. In a few months, that water will be released at a much faster rate causing a rapid rise in Lake Mead levels.

Lake Powell is rapidly rising. No doom this year--or next--not for anyplace outside of California anyway.

Fracking is cracking earth's crust, dropping water tables all over the country. This is a major disaster. Tell elected officials what you think.

"Sitting at 1,074.91 feet above sea level".

Reduced > 1 + 0 + 7 + 4 + 9 + 1 = 22

The Master Number "22".

Not precisely. The Catholics in California had reversed the dry effects with planting as much as possible through missions over decades. Now that the fires gutted out the foliage, it's back to it's pre-catholic mission way.

The real pivotal moment in time on that decision tree as to how did we get so lean and dry in California? When those water bottling company dorks started believing that they could bottle and sell water and have no regard for human necessity for those who don't pay an elitist's wage for the macronutrient.

Consider other countries that had open pools for drinking water and aqueducts for free and even public baths....they shared water. They had open pools of water in their houses, roofs designed to collect rain for use. Now there are few water fountains there is bottled water at too much a price per ounce in the stores -- consider reversing that feature and trend the money into tap water resources not bottled water that also costs gas money.

Perhaps the government is off balance in their manner of governing and need to be replaced?

It's a great book. A read for everyone, especially for those living in the west.

phuck'em...