SecondAttempt
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I don't want to start a debate about climate change. I'm trying to ask a focused question on something I've observed that does not seem to make sense.
I have been watching the water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell for the last couple of years. I lived most of my life in Arizona and the last "crisis" I remember was in the early 80s when there was serious worry of Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell) overtopping.
Now it seems that Lake Mead is less than 5 feet of "minimum power pool," the level at which it cannot generate power. Lake Power is only about 30 feet above that level. If water levels drop as they have in the past year, both dams will stop generating power in the next year. By itself that is not a crisis because the US has plenty of generating capacity.
But both downstream lakes/dams, Lake Mojave and Lake Havasu, are nearly full. So why not just let those lakes drop a little to fulfil our water delivery obligations to Mexico and California? Why not just close the valve on Lake Mead, take the power generation hit, and let is rise a little?
The most recent plan I read is to release about half a million acre feet from a reservoir in Wyoming. But, while that may be one action to take it really does not solve the problem. Rocky mountain snowpack this year is 86% of average so we can expect low river flows.
Part of me suspects a manufactured crisis or simply gross mismanagemnt of water flows to keep the lower lakes full while critically endangering Mead and Powell.
Any insights? Am I missing something?
Edit: Damn keyboard makes typos!
I have been watching the water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell for the last couple of years. I lived most of my life in Arizona and the last "crisis" I remember was in the early 80s when there was serious worry of Glen Canyon Dam (Lake Powell) overtopping.
Now it seems that Lake Mead is less than 5 feet of "minimum power pool," the level at which it cannot generate power. Lake Power is only about 30 feet above that level. If water levels drop as they have in the past year, both dams will stop generating power in the next year. By itself that is not a crisis because the US has plenty of generating capacity.
But both downstream lakes/dams, Lake Mojave and Lake Havasu, are nearly full. So why not just let those lakes drop a little to fulfil our water delivery obligations to Mexico and California? Why not just close the valve on Lake Mead, take the power generation hit, and let is rise a little?
The most recent plan I read is to release about half a million acre feet from a reservoir in Wyoming. But, while that may be one action to take it really does not solve the problem. Rocky mountain snowpack this year is 86% of average so we can expect low river flows.
Part of me suspects a manufactured crisis or simply gross mismanagemnt of water flows to keep the lower lakes full while critically endangering Mead and Powell.
Any insights? Am I missing something?
Edit: Damn keyboard makes typos!