Article

2008-02-14 -Signs, Portents, and the Weather-

Global Warming Alert: Adios, Las Vegas: Lake Mead May Run Dry by 2021

PHOENIX Changes in climate and strong demand for Colorado River water could drain Lake Mead by 2021, triggering severe water shortages across the Southwest, scientists said Tuesday in an unusually bleak water-supply outlook.

'Unusually bleak' outlook? Must be Dhimmicrats ...

Researchers working at San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography said the West's largest storage reservoir faces increasing threats from a combination of factors, including human-induced climate change, growing populations and natural forces like drought and evaporation.
Notice "human-induced climate change" has replace "Global Warming". Hard to stick with Global Warming" when so many record lows and snowfalls are occurring. The Colorado watershed has been wetter than it has been historically for decades, it's now returning to normal.
A dried-up Lake Mead would be a disaster for Arizona and Nevada. The lake, formed by the Hoover Dam in 1935, is located on the border between the two states. If water levels were to drop below 1,000 feet in elevation, Nevada would lose access to all its river allocation. Arizona would lose much of the water that flows through the Central Arizona Project canal. Hydroelectric power production at the Hoover Dam also would cease before the lake level reached bottom, researchers said.

There is a 50 percent chance Lake Mead will run dry by 2021 and a 10 percent chance it will run out of usable water by 2014, if the region's current drought deepens and water use climbs, researchers said.

If, and if ...

"We were stunned at the magnitude of the problem and how fast it was coming at us," said marine physicist Tim Barnett, who co-authored a paper examining the fate of Lake Mead. "Make no mistake this water problem is not a scientific abstraction but rather one that will impact each and every one of us that live in the Southwest."

Lakes Mead and Powell help manage water resources for more than 25 million people in the seven states, including Arizona, that rely on the Colorado River for water and power. The two huge reservoirs have been studied in recent years using numerous hydrology models, but none forecast a dry Lake Mead within 15 years.

"We did a lot of studies, and none of them ever made Lake Mead go dry, period, end of story. We looked 100 years out, and Lake Mead never went dry," said Larry Dozier, deputy general manager of the Central Arizona Project. Dozier had not seen the Scripps study but worked closely on other models that have produced different results. "We did what we called our worst case, and it just didn't happen," he said.

Currently, Lake Mead is half-full, as is Lake Powell further upstream in Arizona. Both lakes help manage water resources for more than 25 million people in seven states.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-14 00:00|| || Front Page|| [23 views ] Top

#1 I think it is the fault of all those invasive muscles sucking up all the water.

Posted by 3dc 2008-02-14 01:02|| 2008-02-14 01:02|| Front Page Top

#2 Changes in climate and strong demand for Colorado River water could drain Lake Mead by 2021

And changes in climate and a house fire could burn down my house.

This is climate change in a nutshell. Trash peddled to morons.

Posted by phil_b 2008-02-14 03:30|| 2008-02-14 03:30|| Front Page Top

#3 Invasive mussels? I thought it was because of invasive Californians.

Posted by ed 2008-02-14 06:05|| 2008-02-14 06:05|| Front Page Top

#4 the West's largest storage reservoir faces increasing threats from a combination of factors, including human-induced climate change, growing populations and natural forces like drought and evaporation.

I wonder if their population base was predicated upon continuing growth of the pre-subprime collapse?

BTW, we wrapped up a nearly 10 year dry period over here in New Mexico last year. Moved from extreme drought to normal in a two month wet period and have stayed pretty much in line since. No one points out positive 'climate change' do they?

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-02-14 08:14|| 2008-02-14 08:14|| Front Page Top

#5 There is a 50 percent chance Lake Mead will run dry by 2021 and a 10 percent chance it will run out of usable water by 2014

Which means there is also a 50 percent chance Lake Mead will not run dry by 2021 and a 90 percent chance it will not run out of usable water by 2014...

Posted by tu3031 2008-02-14 09:58|| 2008-02-14 09:58|| Front Page Top

#6 A pessimist says the lake is half empty.
A optimist says the lake is half full.
A engineer says the dam is too frigging big.

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2008-02-14 10:43|| 2008-02-14 10:43|| Front Page Top

#7 "We did a lot of studies, and none of them ever made Lake Mead go dry, period, end of story. We looked 100 years out, and Lake Mead never went dry," said Larry Dozier, deputy general manager of the Central Arizona Project. Dozier had not seen the Scripps study but worked closely on other models that have produced different results. "We did what we called our worst case, and it just didn't happen," he said.

Buried near the bottom because most people don't read an article all the way through.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-02-14 14:26|| 2008-02-14 14:26|| Front Page Top

#8 It's the same in the Great Lakes; one time waterfront lots, now require a long watch to the shore. However, it is BS to suggest that this phenomenon has anything to do with carbon dioxide or other emissions from human sources. Nor is the lower lake levels the product of evaporation. I believe that 100% of real climate change - and lower precipitation levels around the Great Lakes is a given - is caused by post Ice Age warming. However, after every warming, we get a new Ice Age.

Within warming periods there has been mini-Ice Ages. In the early 17th century, the Thames River in London was frozen over for ten years in a row. We will probably run into that type of phenomenon in the near future. But change will be so gradual that adaption will be easy.

Alarmism deceives. Too bad that there is a decline in respect for science.

Posted by Woozle Crusing9022 2008-02-14 15:25|| 2008-02-14 15:25|| Front Page Top

#9 MAY and IF seems to occupy about 92% of the Chicken Little crowd's vocabulary.

Posted by Almost Anonymous5839">Almost Anonymous5839 2008-02-14 18:11|| 2008-02-14 18:11|| Front Page Top

#10 disappointing in the level of science being shown at Scripp's Institute. They have a couple grant whores who are taking the great reputation down IMHO

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-02-14 18:57|| 2008-02-14 18:57|| Front Page Top

#11 From a drought graph I saw last week, the SW is going through the beginning of an extended drought. Sorta like the Anastazi went through when they had to leave Chaco Canyon. So you possibly have that factor, as well as most of the water is taken. It's simple:

1. Lower inputs
2. Higher outputs
3. Residence volume in the middle

1-2 = 3, which is becoming a smaller 3.

Alimentary, my dear Watson.

Posted by Alaska Paul">Alaska Paul 2008-02-14 21:22|| 2008-02-14 21:22|| Front Page Top

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