Dan's Outside

All Dried Up?

Thanks to Tom at Fluid Flow for referencing this story on his blog…

Lake Mead May Go Dry by 2021:

The disappearance of the manmade lake would create a tidal wave of ill effects for the southwestern U.S. The lake provides water for large cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as for several agricultural interests. The power also keeps on the lights in that region of the country. Imagine Los Angeles on a summer day with sporadic air conditioning and only a trickle of water coming out of the faucet. Then imagine that goes for a week.

“We were stunned at the magnitude of the problem and how fast it was coming at us,” Barnett said in a statement. “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.”

“Today, we are at or beyond the sustainable limit of the Colorado system,” he added.

… and …

Currently, the Colorado River system, which includes Lake Mead and nearby Lake Powell, is running a deficit of 1 million acre feet of water per year. An acre foot of water is the amount of water that it would take to cover an acre of land with a foot of water. It is enough water for 8 million people.

February 12, 2008 Posted by gdanmitchell | Environment | Comments Off on All Dried Up?