Icono Clast wrote:
[...]
>Have you seen Lake Mead lately? I was shocked at how low it was at
>Boulder Dam last year; it's even shockinger lower this year.
The drought in the most parts of the Southwest is continuing into its
eleventh year (according to the Salt River Project) and the Colorado
River flow has reflected that over time. The specific lake levels at
Powell and Mead, of course, result from the inflow/outflow rates --
which are dictated by snowmelt runoff, power generating requirements
and downstream needs. Last year saw an increase in the Lake Powell
levels because of a good runoff from the Rockies from the previous
winter snows. Thus that lake is now at pretty good levels:
http://waterdb.lakepowell.water-data.com/GraphPowell.php
But Lake Mead's water level is now falling back to the low in late
2004 -- which was the lowest level since the late 1960s:
http://www.arachnoid.com/NaturalResources/index.html
Hoover Dam is required to release enough water to keep the lower
Colorado River water users operating (mostly agricultural) and to feed
the giant intakes of the Central Arizona Project along the way.
http://www.usbr.gov/lc/phoenix/projects/cap_proj.html
Much of that CAP water goes to... hold your breath... Phoenix!
Therefore the link between the low Lake Mead levels and the very green
Valley of the Sun is direct. Some of that water now goes to Tucson,
but the historical shortages in that area are reflected in that town's
longtime conservation efforts, as well as the differing attitudes on
the subject between Tucson and Phoenix residents:
http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special26/articles/0120drought-twocities.html
Many books have been written on the subject of historical water
management in the American Southwest. It's a very interesting subject.
Caveat
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