Lake Mead Water Levels Approaching Lower Intake; Powell Already Below 40% Capacity

[hatrack]

“The storage in Lake Powell is going down, after 2012-13, two of the driest years on record,” said John McClow, a Gunnison attorney who represents the state on compact matters. McClow gave an overview of the Colorado River Compact to the Arkansas Basin Roundtable Thursday, saying that good snowpack could provide much-needed moisture to stop the decline of Lake Powell levels at least for a year.

EDIT

In 2007, all seven states agreed to a plan to share shortages. It requires balancing Lake Powell and Lake Mead. However, the two lakes’ combined storage is at its lowest point since 1968.

The water level in Lake Mead is approaching the point where it will drop below its second intake, which could trigger releases from Lake Powell.

Las Vegas is spending $800 million to tunnel under Lake Mead to build its third intake, but that won’t be completed until at least 2015.

EDIT

http://www.chieftain.com/news/2288085-120/lake-powell-colorado-basin

[Systematic Chaos]

1. But by dog, we're still gonna have our fountains and golf courses!!

They may as well take the $800 mil and use it to shuttle out and relocate our homeless and low income people into housing elsewhere, in cities which aren't quite done for yet. You can pretty much stick a fork in this dump, I think.