The End Has Come: AZ Republic (!?!?) W. 5-Part Series On Climate, Drought & Shortages

[hatrack]

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At Lake Mead, America's most voluminous water impoundment when it was full and a lifeline to everyone from Phoenix to San Diego, the crisis has already arrived. Desiccated palm trees flap over the cracked and peeling shell of a resort hotel at Echo Bay Marina at the northern end of the lake, the tattered banners of a man-made oasis now drained and vacant. Dormant boat docks lie stacked against each other.

To nearby innkeeper Chris Wiggins, it's a sign of government mismanagement. "Climate change?" he scoffed. "That's the biggest joke."



You don't have to believe in a climate connection to recognize the risks in doling out on paper more water than a river can give. "In the lower basin, we use more water than in a normal year we receive," said Chuck Cullom, Colorado River program manager for the Central Arizona Project, whose canal pumps water to Phoenix and Tucson. "Even absent the drought we would still be facing a declining Lake Mead."

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A sustained regional drought that started in the late 20th century shrank the reservoir to its record low by last summer. Federal officials say there's a 1-in-4 chance it will sink low enough — to 1,075 feet above sea level — by next year that Arizona will have to cut back substantially on what it takes from the river.

After that, the government projects, the odds are better than even — about 60 percent — for a declared shortage and restrictions in 2017. The reservoir has fallen by more than 100 feet since 2000. Its stored water, paired with upriver sister reservoir Lake Powell, is at about half-capacity. The water's retreat is a slow-blooming crisis that many have seen coming for years. Some communities have used the time to curb their thirst. Los Angeles residents use 129 gallons a day each. That's stingier than the 160-gallon average in Phoenix, whose use rate has nonetheless plummeted in recent years.

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http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/investigations/2015/02/27/southwest-water-crisis-part-one/24011053/

[daleanime]

1. kick, kick, kick.....

[peacebird]

2. Kick...

[newfie11]

3. When the water in lake Meade falls below the turbines

Where is Las Vegas, Phoenix, and maybe LA going to get their power?

[happyslug]

6. Lake Powell can hold 7.2 years of water that flows out of Lake Powell to Lake Mead

Lake Powell is at 3592 feet above sea level as of February 26. 2015:

http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

Lake Powell (as of October 2014) was at 51% of Capacity, Lake Mead was at 39% of Capacity:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141123-lake-powell-colorado-river-drought-water/

Thus both are in bad shape.

Lake Powell can hold 24 Million Acre Feet, but is only holding 11 Million as of 12/31/2014:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Powell

Lake Powell MUST release 7.5 Million Acre Feet each year. Thus unless there is Snow fall that leads to snow melt that comes close to 7.5 Million Acre Feet, you are looking at Lake Powell losing up to 75% of its present water content (that is assuming NO run off, which is a possibility in 2015):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Powell

Lake Mead can hold 26 million Acre Feet of Water, but has just over 10 Million Acre Feet as of 9/1/2014:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Mead

Lake Mead MUST release 9 Million Acre Feet each year, thus possible for it to go dry in 2015, through given Lake Powell MUST release 8.23 Million Acre Feet to Lake Mead each year, you have to look at BOTH Lakes to determine how bad the situation will be.

Yes the Lake Mead Site says 8.23 Million Acre Feet must be released from Lake Powell, and the Lake Powell Cite says 7.5 Million Acre feet. The difference is do to the Lake Powell numbers are what Lake Powell must release to Nevada, Arizona and California. The Lake Mead numbers includes water that MUST BE RELEASED TO MEXICO (The Treaty says 1.5 Million Acre Feet of water MUST cross into Mexico, but that includes water from the Gila River in Southern Arizona).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_Compact

More on Lake Powell and Lake Mead:

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/WorldOfChange/lake_powell.php

http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

[phantom power]

4. I bet master Wiggins believes we'd all have plenty of water if we just privatized it all

[NYC_SKP]

5. no boats