One Dam Solution.

Trix

Trix

Escalante-Class Member
Back in March, JFR nailed it down for us:
There are only a few plausible explanations why anyone would want to drain Lake Powell:

1. You are not aware of the big picture connections between water, energy, and economics that drive life in the southwest.
2. You are aware of those things, but prioritize your own personal values over the collective needs of millions of people.
3. You have a friend who wants to see Lake Powell drained, and you like your friend.
4. You are over 80 years old, used to run the river, and wish things were the way they used to be.
5. You're under 80 years old, have seen lots of old pictures of Glen Canyon from the 1950s, and wish for something you've never seen before.
6. You believe in myths.
7. You don't believe in critical thinking.

Now I'm not saying there aren't good, passionate people who want to see Lake Powell drained, and sincerely believe in the concept. In my opinion, they just haven't thought it through, given the reality of what is on the ground... today, right now...

I will say the only possible argument that really makes any sense to me is the one that says--"Lake Powell will be a mudflat in 700 years. Let's restore the canyon now so we don't completely fill it with silt before we cause any more damage." And I could even support that, IF we could find a way to replace all the critical values that Lake Powell and the other reservoirs in the system bring, without completely disrupting human settlement patterns and the things we rely on to live in the West for the foreseeable future.

Living Rivers and farmers team up on the lunacy wing:

www.latimes.com

As Colorado River shrinks, California farmers urge 'one-dam solution'

Some California farmers are urging the federal government to consider draining Lake Powell, supporting environmentalists’ push for a ‘one-dam solution.’
www.latimes.com www.latimes.com

Hope the link gets you there without a paywall.
 
Correction: This shouldn't be called a "one dam solution." It's more like a "one dam IDEA." And a POOR one at that. How they got the farmers to believe that cutting the west's two water storage reservoirs down to one is beyond me. More storage means more water, or at least more space to hold that water. Reducing that storage is the exact wrong thing to do. Farmers are brainwashed by the drainers.

Tiff
 
With Lake Mead being the worst for evaporation losses it makes more sense to drain Lake Mead more than Lake Powell, but IMO the best approach would be to manage Lake Mead as a flow through reservoir with enough buffer to get them through short-term power and water demands but otherwise store as much water as possible upstream in Lake Powell and the cooler reservoirs further north. I think they gain quite a bit of water with this approach.

Las Vegas gets plenty of water no matter what since they have their dead pool 3rd straw.

However, I'm writing this without knowing what the elevations are needed for any place on Lake Mead. I don't know who else draws from Lake Mead besides Las Vegas and then the downstream water supplies to AZ and CA and Mexico...
 
I have the opinon that the "farmers" they are talking about are actually modern corporations with their New Green Deal slant they have to deal with. I doubt that family owned and run farms subscribe to any of this claptrap. Store all the water possible in as many different locations and waterheds as is feasible.
 
Trix said:
Back in March, JFR nailed it down for us:
There are only a few plausible explanations why anyone would want to drain Lake Powell:

1. You are not aware of the big picture connections between water, energy, and economics that drive life in the southwest.
2. You are aware of those things, but prioritize your own personal values over the collective needs of millions of people.
3. You have a friend who wants to see Lake Powell drained, and you like your friend.
4. You are over 80 years old, used to run the river, and wish things were the way they used to be.
5. You're under 80 years old, have seen lots of old pictures of Glen Canyon from the 1950s, and wish for something you've never seen before.
6. You believe in myths.
7. You don't believe in critical thinking.

Now I'm not saying there aren't good, passionate people who want to see Lake Powell drained, and sincerely believe in the concept. In my opinion, they just haven't thought it through, given the reality of what is on the ground... today, right now...

I will say the only possible argument that really makes any sense to me is the one that says--"Lake Powell will be a mudflat in 700 years. Let's restore the canyon now so we don't completely fill it with silt before we cause any more damage." And I could even support that, IF we could find a way to replace all the critical values that Lake Powell and the other reservoirs in the system bring, without completely disrupting human settlement patterns and the things we rely on to live in the West for the foreseeable future.

Living Rivers and farmers team up on the lunacy wing:

www.latimes.com

As Colorado River shrinks, California farmers urge 'one-dam solution'

Some California farmers are urging the federal government to consider draining Lake Powell, supporting environmentalists’ push for a ‘one-dam solution.’
www.latimes.com www.latimes.com

Hope the link gets you there without a paywall.
Click to expand...
I don't think the farmers have bought into this BS. The groups that want it drained use any hint of agreement with them and have very good exposure to the general public. They do a very good job getting their messages out. If a farmer thinks this out he can very well see that without storage he only gets water in the spring.
 
airford1 said:
Well until California and Arizona start using water Smarter and stop wasting it we will have these problems. I'm in SoCal and the local cities have claimed there is no longer a drought and we must go back to watering our Lawns and make things green again.
Click to expand...
Our governor has not lifted the drought restrictions. Cities have to follow his lead with this.
 
also they are missing one big thing. If in 2000 there were only one lake, the water storage will have been half, and in 2022 lake mead will have been empty with no water for their farm.
those people are really stupid, how can they believe that reducing storage capacity could help.
They are like many people only looking at solving today's problem but not looking at long term issues.
Plan should be made taking into account potential for future drought.
The release for the next 5 years should be calculated to be the average that fill in Powell on the past 20 years less 6MAF per year (3MAF for Powell and 3MAF for Mead).
this will bring those water storage to full capacity within 5 years.
 
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