Lake Mead / Colorado River

[Swattie87]

Is anyone else following this? Fascinating, but more importantly, frightening.

Building additional pumping infrastructure to pump water from a lower lake elevation is only a band aid. A necessary one, but still just a band aid. It’s like a bank account. If you spend (use) more than you make (precipitation) in a given period of time your account balance (pool level) drops. If you do this repeatedly, you run out of money (water).

Need to be figuring out a different, more permanent solution. Use less, and not encourage residency growth in an area without the natural water resources to support it, probably steps number 1. and 1a.

Las Vegas turns on low-level Lake Mead pumps designed to avoid a ‘Day Zero’ - The Nevada Independent

Lake Mead's falling water levels prompt Southern Nevada Water Authority to activate 3rd pumping station, safeguarding Las Vegas from potential crises.

thenevadaindependent.com

 

[wildtrout2]

It's a not so surprising sign of the times. Scary.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

If your interested in Western water rights check out the book Cadillac Desert. So much corruption and politics ar play determined how the west was developed and who had water where.

 

[PennKev]

Use less, and not encourage residency growth in an area without the natural water resources to support it, probably steps number 1. and 1a.

Agriculture is a huge strain on water supplies all across the west also.

 

[dryflyguy]

If I'm remembering correctly, I think Las Vegas gets all its water from Lake Mead.
Huge problem for sure.

I'm wondering if they might need to consider using ocean water from a desalination plant.
Pretty expensive option. But what else do you do?

The wife and I have vacationed several times on the Caribbean Island of Aruba.
Its a big tourist destination, with many resorts and high rises.
And from what I understand, almost no fresh water supply.
A big desalination plant supplies the whole island now

 

[use2wuz]

If your interested in Western water rights check out the book Cadillac Desert. So much corruption and politics ar play determined how the west was developed and who had water where.

Not unlike the Middle East And the Jordan river …

 

[salmonoid]

If your interested in Western water rights check out the book Cadillac Desert. So much corruption and politics ar play determined how the west was developed and who had water where.

Agreed - I bought this and read it years ago and it's fascinating. You think future wars will be fought over oil? Consider we can survive without oil (although it would require many changes). We cannot survive without water.

I owned a share in a property in CO at one point and when we were negotiating the purchase, the fact that we even would have had to consider water rights was a completely foreign concept to an Easterner like me. if I hadn't read Cadillac Desert. Since the site was being used for manufacturing, it was a real issue that we had to address, something we don't even blink at in PA. I don't know of too many water law attorneys in PA.

 

[Steeltrap]

Apparently the water levels are so low that two human remains have been discovered by kayak-er's. Authorities believe these may be missing mob kinda people.

Just a side note....and I have no idea if this is feasible but a letter to the editor in our local paper stated that instead of stopping the N-S oil pipeline, why not redirect it to move water from one of the great lakes and pump it into Lake Mead.

Interesting view point.