STOP FEAR MONGERING! Lake Powell is NOT GOING TO BE DRAINED!
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- I address a lot of the rumors about Glen Canyon Dam & Lake Powell being done away with. No, the lake is not going away! SMH. Please keep in mind that I am just a resident of Lake Powell, & I do not KNOW EVERYTHING! I hope this settles all the clickbait & fake titles preaching about draining Lake Powell & destroying Glen Canyon Dam. Quite frankly I am sick of the Lies. Please keep comments respectfull.
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Dude, regardless of the dam being drained or not, you do live in a fantasy world. Good luck, I love the area and is one of my favorite places in the world.
There's no fantasy world here. The mainstream media has become VERY opinion based instead of being unbiased.
@@XC797 Unless is Fox news, right?
@@dante9192 fox News is just about as bad as the rest of the opinion generators .
@@XC797 Then we are in agreement. Lets hope things get better. Its a beautiful area and I cant wait to return. Just have to complete a tour in Korea and then retirement. Stay safe, cheers.
The Colorado river is in hospice. You should prepare to migrate immediately.
exactly Sir!
very well laid out, put forward and analyzed.
straightforward,
Lake Powell & Mead are going to be fine. as are the rivers, downstream and these magnificent engineering marvels of dams.
Agreed: time to call a stop on media scaremongering, in favour of a return to common sense and calmness.
Having visited Powell, I found it to be a beautiful, dramatic place.
The American Southwest is a magnificent natural wonder and technology has made life and agriculture possible in an otherwise relatively inhospitable desert region: I don't doubt that advances in that same technology can face all challenges to create a sustainable future.
Thanks Thor. You mentioned that you live on Lake Powell. I live and work full time in Bullfrog UT for the Harbor division. It's definitely been a handful moving the marinas further out into the Bay than ever before.
Man draws his plans in pencil, but Mother Nature has the eraser.
Interesting way to look at it. True though.
Man plans, God laughs.
I agree bro. Too many rumors going around. There is still a lot of lake left. People should just enjoy it and be happy!
I would think the Native American people would want to get rid of the dam. They are usually against building dams other places. In any case, I appreciate your video and hope your optimism becomes the truth.
"Scooping" out silt or dredging right behind a dam isnt possible. For one, there are intake towers directly behind the dam and further upstream there is a new intake that was installed for the City of Las Vegas to draw water from (in the floor of the lake). If you want to see a perfect example of just how big of a problem silt becomes behind a dam, just look up San Clemente Dam removal and you will see just how much silt can accumulate behind a dam.
I was born in AZ and have spent time at Lake Powell; its a wonderful place but that dam is an ecological disaster and needs to go. Even Barry Goldwater wanted it gone.
The silt isn't at the dam yet, & I would agree it should be dealt with before it gets to the dam. As for an ecological disaster, damage is basically already done. Removing the water would cause massive dust storms, "already is," & their is a possibility of uranium contaminated dust storms if the lake dries out, as their is uranium in the soil beneath the water. All of the cities & civilization on & near LP would need to be forcibly evacuated if that happened, & who knows if this place would ever be usable again if the dam was removed. At this point in time it might be more of a ecological disaster to remove the lake all together & restore the colorado river.
@@ExploreWithThor good points
YES, VEGAS CAN AFFORD TO GO TO THE OCEAN AND USE DESALANIZATION TO KEEP VEGAS ALIVE, WITH ALL THE BILLIONS THEY MAKE FROM GAMBLING
@@ExploreWithThor Dredging is not a good idea anyway, and considering how deep LP is (even with it being low), I can't see dredging being practical or feasible. And looking at the immense size of it, where would someone even start a project like that? And at what depth...60...80...100ft? Deeper than that? I don't even know the average depth of LP.
I'm in Oklahoma City. One of our city lakes needs it every couple of decades, and it's only 10-15 feet deep. Biggest problem is the natural minerals churned up, requiring MORE chemical treatment to maintain the same purity for drinking, which costs MORE money, not to mention the costs of the dredging itself. City officials hate discussing it. I can't imagine the cost of doing that at LP. Nope, dredging there is not an option in my opinion.
@@ExploreWithThor I agree that this maybe a "two wrongs don't make a right" situation and no matter what one feels about whether or not the damn was a good idea to start with, it is there now and the best path forward is to try to keep the damn, the lake and the river as healthy and useful as possible.
I think your video explains a lot about Lake Powell including your opinion that you don't think that the reservoir will be drained and you mention several reasons.
From my point of view it isn't that Lake Powell will be drained, but rather that due to declining snow packs in Colorado resulting from the ongoing drought and rising temperatures the Lake level will continue to decline.
So it won't have to be drained per se, it will simply drop because of a lack inflow from the Colorado. To wit the level has dropped significantly since your video was posted on RUclips. Today on April 21 the water level was at last check about 3523 ft. My understanding is dead pool is 3495 ft. That could be reached later this year! If the decline in the level is the same as the previous year up through today.
How is that not a very real possibility and how might that change your perspective going forward?
Even at deadpool Lake Powell will still be a very large lake. The perspective of outright draining it is still silly in my mind. As for Colorado snowpack, actually it's not bad. 80% & only 50% through the water year. Things can still change, & it should be noted that in the past we did not need 100% for the water to rise or begin to refill the lake. Considering the other water conditions we have had, & the fact that since this video was made several more measures to decrease water usage have been implemented & lawyers & politicians are getting ready to dull out a new water contract. Lake Powell has been prioritized over Lake Mead now, amongst many other things. It is very likely that Lake Powell will not be drained in my opinion.
@@ExploreWithThor I agree that completely draining Lake Powell doesn't make much sense, but without extreme water reform, it could very well become a shell of what it was. So many large communities in the southwest have exploded in population, requiring more and more water every single year. It wont be as simple as imposing high fines for going over the allotted amount for the month like they have done in the past. They will have to ban green lawns and force people in to zeroscaping (some places already do this), eliminate personal swimming pools, force golf courses to only use turf, and more importantly- shut down a ton of the agriculture.
Small scale changes will no longer work when most of these areas have been under a megadrought for over 20 years all while experiencing record increases in population and still climbing. It's not going to be an easy task telling 40+ million people they have to restrict water on a life altering scale. Businesses will shut down, people will move away and the overall economy could be severely damaged in quite a few areas. For instance, California was allotted 4.4 million acre feet of water per year, and they currently use 5.2 million acre feet. Even if California was forced to give up that extra 15% it wouldn't be enough to trigger refilling, since the Colorado River is currently estimated at an overall net loss of 1 million acre feet each year.
Even with them releasing water from the Flaming Gorge reservoir in Wyoming, its considered a band-aid to buy more time. What I am concerned about is politicians beating around the bush because they don't want to be responsible for shrinking their economy, limiting their people, and eventually having to choose between losing power from Lake Meade, or losing power from Meade and Powell. I wouldn't call that fearmongering when they are dangerously close to the critical level on both lakes, and so far their only remedy has been diverting water from Wyoming for a temporary gain.
I miss Lake Powell. We had a houseboat docked at Hite Marina for 5 years in the early 2000's. I was just out of high school and made the absolute best memories being young, wild and free out there. When the water level dropped enough to threaten Hite, my dad's option was to move to Halls Crossing/Bullfrog or sell off- he chose the latter. I went back to visit Hite a few years ago and it was surreal seeing how dry and barren it was.
@@ExploreWithThor It is my understanding that because of warmer temperatures sublimation is having a greater impact on runoff.
I guess one benefit to Glen Canyon dam is that it is keeping Hoover from silting up as fast
I grew up going to Lake Powell each year and we spend 2 weeks a year down there. I can’t overstate what Lake Powell means to me and my family.
I was there in 2019 when Colorado river was flooding and Powell got most water in years. It was all gone in 2 years.
Very well produced, but allot of wishful thinking. Look at the data charts for L Powell - elevation on a steady decline and discharge double the inflow. All to prop up L Mead, which is barely holding steady in a season when it should be filling.
Bottom line - they won't drain L Powell intentionally for the reasons you state, but it will go to dead pool IMO. It can't be stopped just like you can't stop a hurricane.
It is hard to say, especially given the weather we are having. Upper Colorado Basin is doing fairly well this year, & output of both LP & Mead are being reduced. A big move politically is being made to ensure that, but the politics side of things could be too little too late. Regardless if LP goes to dead pool, mead will follow shortly thereafter, & no one will have any water, & that bigger picture is starting to be realized. But only time will tell.
AND NOBODY MENTIONS THE 3RD OUTPUT WHEN THEY PUT A TUNNEL UNDER LAKE MEAD STRAIGHT TO LAS VEGAS, SAD,
@@domcizek The allotment to Nevada is only about 1/3 of what is lost to evaporation each year on Lake Powell or 6% of the water that goes to California. Las Vegas is not the problem.
@@anthonymendoza1327 IF THE WATER GOES MUST LOWER, POWER GENERATION WILL STOP, THAT WILL BE A PROBLEM,
@@domcizek Yep. Powell is heading for dead pool.
As of January 2022, not one nuclear power plant is being built in the west either, so it should be interesting to see what the plan is from the dolts in government because hydro power is not going to produce what is needed to charge hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles on the grid. ..
It is crazy. A big part of the reason I wanted an off grid home. I think it is likely there will be reform on the whole zero nuclear power idea, but in the meantime it means any power plants that are left will become even more valuable, & important.
Something else to consider is geothermal. Iceland managed to switch their entire grid over to geothermal energy. Something the US has a massive reserve of. Good luck getting the government to let us tap into it though.
@@paulchilders9969 Iceland sits on top of a hotspot which continuously pumps magma towards its surface and is a tiny country. Only a very small area of our very large country has suitable geothermal activity, we need to step up our solar and wind game as well.
@@CytoplasmicGoo Ever heard of Yellowstone? There is enough heat beneath there to power the entire nation. Not to mention there are hot springs spread all across the country. We already have geothermal production in 7 states. Enough to lead the world in geothermal. It's not a matter of availability, it's a matter of exploiting it.
@@paulchilders9969 hey Paul, I’m not disagreeing but geothermal activity is predominantly found in the western part our country. Large swaths of the center and the eastern portion have very little. Except for Yellowstone, which I’m very familiar with, which is under a hot spot. I’m only saying geothermal will not solve all our future energy needs, we need to supplement it with other alternatives.
Nature will determine if and when Lake Powell will fill. The dam isn’t going anywhere. It’s too massive. The dam can be decommissioned until the drought ends and the reservoir can refill
According to the book "Dead Pool" written by James Powell page 69 the river is now allocated by percentage. This is an excellent book on the subject written by a geologist.
When they say drained Im pretty sure they mean unintentionally. The growing population has been long stressing the water resources and with population numbers increasing...That lake will soon be no more. Thats what humans do..We use up all resources until they are gone
well 80% of the water is used for farming in the desert.
I guess we better get rid of the humans…
Well, normal precipitation has been keeping things doable, add the worse drought in our history and this results. Yes more people in the west, but the drought is a serious issue pushing things to the breaking point .
Can’t just blame people.
@@HoustonRoad no..youre right. Lets blame earth
It is now time to beat the rush of climate refugees. I would be heading to the East Coast asap while prices are still reasonable. The dry conditions are not insurmountable. The water sharing is so corrupt that sorting this out is essential if this impoundment is to survive
We are wondering here in the Pacific Northwest when the climate refugees will really start pouring in. We are already seeing a large number of people coming to the Oregon coast from Montana, Alaska, Idaho, California, Georgia. But, net migration is really not adding much to the population yet. We will really begin to see just how unaware the average person is, if it takes them seeing Lake Mead and Lake Powell turn into dead pools before they pack up their loved ones and leave. The writing is on the wall and the later you wait, the more difficult it will be to relocate.
Its an older video now in Apr 2020 but I watched because I love footage like this, for a question to raise now how does the level of Lake Mead affect this now? It's getting closer to the level where it will reduce the Hoover Dams power generation soon, some of the intake structures are only just below the water level now.
my understanding is of the 17 generators at hoover dam, only 5 can operate if the lake level drops below 1050msl. it is within 5 feet of that now. the 5 that can operate are newer and more efficient, but even they cannot operate past 950msl. dobrinich channel good place to get info on mead and powell lake levels.
Powell and mead should never have been built in the first place. Nature cannot be defeated long term.
I realized that either mankind is a product of nature, or was created to have dominion over it. Regardless of which you believe you will always be unsatisfied or at war with yourself until you accept it.
The dam generates one half of one percent of the total power in the western grid. It would be naive to think they would not eventually drain that lake to prop up lake mead in my opinion. Drain it but keep dam in place in case a surplus of water ever occurs again, would be my guess. 40 million users and rising..... Good video nonetheless
I agree. At the current rate of loss at Mead and Powell they both could lose power generating capability. Better to sacrifice one than both. Powell was originally built mainly to keep lake Mead from filling up with silt. If we drain Powell until Mead is full, and use Powell as extra water storage during wet years. It would also provide silt control. We might even save water. There'd be less evaporation and loss of water into the sandstone of Powell. Mead is in volcanic rock and there's less seepage there.
How much power to the grid did we lose, when Ca. shut down the power plants and removed them? They have 5 more on the books to be shut down and removed and they panicked because they realized that we would have state wide brown outs IE (THEY FEARED FOR THEIR JOBS)
@@mattcolver1 So I suppose I should have pointed out what would happen if LP was drained. The obvious is that the water would boost LM, but Hoover dam would have to rely on the Colorado Rivers input to sustain it, instead of Lake Powell's output which is significantly higher... In other words, LM would basically drain twice as fast. Without any reservoir at LP, LM would dry up fairly fast, & half the power that could have been generated by running Glen Canyon Dams turbines would be lost. Nothing will be resolved by draining LP except for a short term gain, & a long term loss. The only intuitive solution is to implement less water usage both above & below the dams, to help sustain both dams until the drought is over. It is the only win win solution, any other solution is a losing solution sadly. However if LP gets to dead pool draining it would still not make any since, unless LM also hit deadpool. Than a very short term gain could be made by draining LP into LM. After that LM will need to be drained to fulfill the water contracts, & shortly after that no one will have any water.
@@ExploreWithThor The geology of Lake Mead is different than Powell. Mead is in volcanic rock, so it holds water better. Powell is in sandstone which is a sponge. Lake Mead is also in a deeper canyon with less side canyons so there's not as much surface area therefore there would be less evaporation. There was a water study that determined that by holding most of the water in mead you'd save 300,000 acre feet of water each year due to less absorption and evaporation. That savings would provide all of Nevada's allocation.
@@mattcolver1 You are correct, however those studies don't talk about saturation point. The sandstone around here has been saturated for many many many years meaning that water loss do to saturation is almost non existent at this point. The water has had plenty of time to reach the clay layer underneath the sandstone & that will stop all the water from leaving, & we have loads of clay out here... Evaporation is more of a problem than saturation, & now that Lake Powell has shrunk as much as it has evaporation has drastically decreased, as the surface area of the water is significantly less. Most of Lake Powell's water is in deep canyons. Also do to the time of the year as in winter time evaporation drops to practically nothing because of the cooler weather. The water loss of LP is nothing like what is reported.
It's so close to gone all on it's own. It's heartbreaking. Ugh
yea but if water is getting too low to generate power gotta stick it all behind one dam to continue to generate power. also those California central valley farmers are fed by the state water project and lake oravile. but I guess it could be said that using less of that means that at the end of the line they would have to use less colorado water, but colorado water cant be pumped backwards up the aqueduct to feed those farms.
Question ;; of all the things I`ve heard of the dams/lakes are their any fish in these lakes normally when water is down in a lake record fishing and big fish catches are recorded.
Some of the best fishing is at Lake Powell.
Best shot at getting rid of that plug was in the Spring of 1983
Your claim that the local communities would suffer from loss of tourists. However there has been a big influx of tourists coming to the area to experience the re-emergence of Glen Canyon. I'm one of those people. I had never gone to Lake Powell until I heard that Cathedral In The Desert had re-emerged. I spent money in the area. I stayed at the hotel in Bullfrog, rented a boat and ate at the restaurant there. I wouldn't have been there if Powell was full. Water from the Mississippi river is a non-starter. All that water would need to be pumped uphill. We'd probably need to build dozens of nuclear power plants to pump the water. Davenport, Iowa is 590 ft elevation whereas the headwaters of the Colorado is over 10,000 feet.
I think it was a silly idea as well, but it goes to show how desperate California is for water that they would consider such a pipeline. As for you coming out here to see the cathedral, that is awesome! But most wouldn't come out here if there was no lake. That would hurt our communities. Already since the lake has dropped we have lost a significant amount of our tourists & business, as many people have canceled coming out here because the lake is to low for them. Believe it or not tourism is so down right now that I recently found out our sewage treatment plant had to shut down one of the treatment pools because the influx of sewage from the hotels never happened. Just for clarity already page & the other local communities are suffering do to how low the lake is. While some are coming to see the re-emergence of Glen Canyon, sadly the tourism generated by this is a pittance compared to the tourism generated by a fuller lake. But I will say that right now is the time to come see Lake Powell, as it is more beautiful than it has been in a long time do to the low water.
"I stayed at the hotel in Bullfrog, "
There's a hotel at Bullfrog? Wonders never cease. So there is along with hundreds of RV's. Most are there because Bullfrog is a MARINA.
im sorry but at 3:54 your saying there's no a lot of water loss to the weather... but earlier you said upper Colorado is in its driest ever in 100 years. im sure that 100 years add to a lot of evaporated water>water not flowing into the Res.
What I was referencing is water evaporation do to summer heat, & currently it is winter time in which water evaporation is significantly less. Later in the video I talk about weather patterns pertaining to precipitation, However to be clear I did not say that for the last 100 years the colorado has been dry, only that this drought is the driest in 100 years. I am struggling understanding what you mean by that 100 years of evaporated water from Lake Powell is greater than the water not flowing into the reservoir... For one Lake Powell has not existed for 100 years, & for two in truth there is not a lot of evaporation until it is in the reservoir, however at this point in time the evaporation is minimal as the surface area of the water in Lake Powell has shrunk, which minimizes the loss of water do to evaporation.
Well done video. Unfortunately Lake Powell and Mead are both doomed unless the weather patterns change drastically (and scientist will get some of these wrong). You stated correctly about the efficiency of Lake Powell becoming greater as it gets shallower. Given this and the temperature differences at Powell and Mead the argument can be made to sacrifice Mead instead Vegas and Phoenix are going to become too hot for people anyway. It should also be noted that the Colorado isn't the only river basin in serious trouble. The Klamath and Missouri have issues as well.
Here in Vegas we have this thing called air conditioning. While our winters are much warmer than in past years, our summers aren't any hotter (though they are pretty long these days). Regardless, Lake Mead is more important because it provides water and power to California which because of demographics, is the most powerful state in the Union.
dont worry.. its a dry heat😁
No mention of NESTLE and how much they have taken over the years.
arent there bypass tunnels ? why would we ever do something stupid like taking out the dam...
One possible flaw in your reasoning is that if both reservoirs fall below the level for producing hydro power then no energy is produced at all while if they use the water in Powell to fill Mead then at least one power plant keeps working. Also having just finished an eight day trip between miles 93 and 77 the low levels have shown the destruction to the original environments of the side canyons which have become arduous and treacherous to hike. ( How about some trails Park Service?) Plus all those boaters who supposedly love the lake have turned the area into a giant trash heap. All descriptions of trash and seemingly no one making an effort to reduce any of it.
I would add that I would love to see the lake level rise but feel the only real hope for the reservoir is a trans state water pipeline.
Glen Canyon Dam can also make power. The same argument you just made for filling meed could also be made to fill lake powell. Let mead go dry & hold back the water in Lake Powell, & run Glen Canyon dam. That is why the argument of which should be drained first makes no sense. As for trash pickup we have whole groups dedicated to it. It is not generally the locals who actually love Lake Powell making the trash, it is the tourist renting the houseboats.
@@ExploreWithThor Hoover Dam generates 2,000 megawatts of power compared to Glen Canyon dams 1300. Lake Powell's primary purpose is to store water for the upper basin states Wyoming Colorado Utah and New Mexico. It's second purpose is to generate electricity to move water and sold at a discount. The evaporation problem at Lake Powell is only reduced because the lake is at 24% capacity. Do you propose to keep it at 24%? And how would we fill Lake Powell, by draining all the reservoirs in the upper states? Lake Mead and Hoover Dam as a much better storage location for the water. That's why it was built first.
"if they use the water in Powell to fill Mead then at least one power plant keeps working"
For a while, then it too stops. I seem to see the same argument over and over and over and over and....
@@thomasmaughan4798 No the evaporation and seepage is greatly reduced so you have more water on dry years.
@@anthonymendoza1327 "No the evaporation and seepage is greatly reduced"
Correct. As the surface area diminishes, evaporation and seepage is greatly reduced.
I have been boating in the lake since the early 90 s seeing your videos is very impressive ! I subscribed to your channel . Keep up the good videos 🇺🇸
2013 the Glen Canyon Institute commissioned a study to analyze water lost to ground seepage through the sandstone of Glen Canyon. The conducting hydrologist estimated that 300,000 acre feet of water, an amount equivalent to entire water allotment for the state of Nevada, could be spared if water was stored in Lake Mead rather than in the porous sandstone of Glen Canyon. Subsequent studies have re-estimated these measurements to be closer to 50,000 acres, and while the exact number remains elusive, hydrologists agree that water from Lake Powell soaks into the surrounding sandstone and remains locked away for decades or longer.
Water eventually runs into bedrock or clay. At that point it can't really go anywhere. Sandstone just slows that process down. That is how I have understood it.
@@ExploreWithThor Geophysics major here- You're talking thousands and thousands of feet down passing various levels of sandstone formations before reaching basalt. Much, much farther than the actual depth of the reservoir itself. In addition, it doesn't just seep down on a linear path, water tables are formed on the intersections of formations with varying hardnesses, and those water tables can stretch for miles if not hundreds of miles, collecting water as they go. This is how aquifers are formed. You might be underestimating how much geo water retention is possible in this area... the fact is that the sandstone base of the lake continues to sap huge amounts of water leading to lower water levels. And this is something we can continue to count on happening at a relatively consistent rate.
@@Reed411 Plus you lose even more to evaporation.
They should remove all these dams and let the rivers run their natural course. Respect nature.
I agree on respecting nature, & natures greatest achievement is humanity, the one entity that has a chance of spreading & continuing even once the sun goes supernova & blasts our earth to shreds. So I instead respect the true achievements of mankind, rather than wish for their destruction.
Thank you for not using the phrase "climate change", as that has become a go to excuse for anything. I am from Vegas and this started to happen in the mid 80's and at that time a few things started to occur. UNLV basketball was now a nationwide name and folks started to move in especially students, national spotlight for New Years Eve 2000 and more folks move in, California prices and cost of living continue to soar and Vegas now has a larger infrastructure bringing a surge of Democrats for cheaper homes and better jobs. So, population growth in addition to low levels of snowfall on the Rockies have been the main contributors to the low levels of water. Sorry, went on a Lake Mead rant but it becomes a factor (as you stated) affects dams above and below.
Overdrawing is definantually the issue. Cities use a lot of water, however California has used 20% more of their allotment for the last three years, & last year used a record amount of water. Arizona started to bank all of their water in underground aquifers. Honestly I contribute cities to be the lesser of the problem, "although they probably should not have swimming pools atm." It is mostly agriculture, particularly almonds as sad as that sounds. I am guessing Almond milk is big in California lol. Also a lot of the water goes to feed that is run by foreign interest so America literally loses out entirely on those places.
The Great Basin overlaps four different deserts. The western areas of the basin tend to be drier than the eastern areas. Most of the basin experiences a semi-arid or arid climate with warm summers. The hydrographic Great Basin is a 209,162-square-mile (541,730 km2) area that drains internally. All precipitation in the region evaporates, sinks underground or flows into lakes (mostly saline). The Great Basin Divide separates the Great Basin from the watersheds draining to the Pacific Ocean. Most Great Basin precipitation is snow, and the precipitation that neither evaporates nor is extracted for human use will sink into groundwater aquifers, while evaporation of collected water occurs from geographic sinks.
There's 38 long river systems in North America and none of them are located in California, Nevada or Utah. It's no wonder this area suffers from water shortages. Some yuge pipelines from water abundant areas would resolve the water distribution problem. The states near the Gulf of Mexico are often flooded with too much water, while the Southwest is suffering a long-term drought. Perhaps a large infrastructure project to build a water pipeline from those flooded states to the Southwest?
Start at the Mississippi River going to the Colorado River at Lake Powell, where a seven-state compact shares the water. The region needs water in the dams for hydroelectric power as well as for drinking and irrigation. A span of about 1,000 miles from Jackson, Miss., along the southern borders of Colorado and Utah to Lake Powell would do it.
It's not a water resource problem because we live on a water world. The Earth is 70% covered in water; there's plenty to go around. Water is deposited in the atmosphere from outer space at a rate of an inch covering the entire surface every 10,000 years. The water doesn't go away it's recycled all the time as part of the Earth's hydrological cycle.
And a bunch of small modular nuclear reactors as well; for air conditioning. Can't go without AC.
A pipeline from the Mississippi would be unused 95% of the time if used only for floods. The last time the Muddy Miss flooded was 2019. (NWS history of Mississippi River flooding). Did I mention the nickname: Muddy Miss. The Mississippi is a highly controlled economic superhighway for at least 14 states that does not have the excess water Westerners think it does. You can forget about the Great Lakes also. The way that water is subsidized in the west and the current water shortage is the poster child of why socialism always fails.
Thanks for a rational informative presentation on an important issue.
For sure! As for some good news the upper Colorado Basin is over 100% snowpack already.
Thank you for this video! I plan on working at Lake Powell Marina this summer.
Could one of the dam that used water to generate power pump like half of that used water back into the dam to recycle ♻️ the water
No sadly. It would take more power than the water could generate to move the water back up.
Yes! Perfect opportunity to use solar power to pump back up and use anytime as storage battery!
the dam and the water it stores and the power it generates are more important than ever.
Of course it may be difficult if water does not come back. Dropped 40' in 2021, and the drought will not end in 2022, so if lost same amount of water in 2022 that means lake will less than 3,500 feet assuming that that is the same amount of water, which it is not since the lake is smaller now. zero pool is 3940. This is what the status of "Lake Powell, the projections indicate the potential of falling below minimum power pool as early as July 2022 should extremely dry hydrology continue into next year.” Minimum power pool refers to an elevation-3,490 feet-that water levels must remain above to keep the dam’s hydropower turbines working properly." We already know that it will be another dry year
You say that... Than it snows over 2ft in Colorado. Anything can happen. There is no certainty in the future of Lake Powell. Only time will tell.
@@ExploreWithThor Time and facts are not on your side. Read my post above. I know, I lived there and still communicate with folks impacted by this.
@@byronbergman8264 I live here & I too communicate with others who live here. I did not make anything up in this video, so the facts are as stated in the video. If anything a prediction of good or bad can not be considered factual, until it is history. I hope you are wrong, but I can not say for certain what is going to happen, just like you can not, & only time will tell. A new prediction came out about a storm front headed Colorado's way. The weather people are predicting over 13ft of snow possible, not that I believe that for a moment, but only time will tell.
@@byronbergman8264 "Time and facts are not on your side"
You sound a bit like a Democrat. Time and facts are not on anyone's "side". Time and facts happen.
@@brandensilverstar "Why are you being obtuse?" Probably because I'm more than 90 degrees.
Dumb Question: If Lake Powell is indeed leaky does it have a big aquifer under it?
It refills several nearby aquifers. Some are actually going dry now that Lake Powell has receded.
One disclaimer at the beginning of your video would have been sufficient.
Yeah, sadly even with the many I made I have had some seriously vial comments sent to me. But I totally understand why you might have been annoyed with them, & I apologize.
The main reason Powell is so low is because of overuse. If you look at average inflow over the last 100 years, it hasn’t been too far out of the norm. We’re just taking out more than what is going in.
You are just wrong. Between 2000 and 2018 the inflow was above average in only 4 years. The forecast for the 2022 inflow is 59% of average.
Awesome job thank you for sharing
this was posted Nov 2021. Try doing the same now... Im curious to see what you come up with given the present situation...
I might. Been a lot of good news for Lake Powell as of late, & it's rising before the runoff season.
@@ExploreWithThor wishfull thinking or not. We all hope it gets better. Beautiful place.
@@ExploreWithThor What is some of the good news? Over the last 4 weeks the water level has risen 11 inches. The final NOAA forecast for the season predicts the amount of water to reach Lake Powell to be about 60% of average. I'd classify that as bad news.
Yeee gettin lots and lots of rain. Monsoons are back this year.
Lake Powell is at record low levels. That is a fact. So let's take more water out of the Colorado River so we can water the eighteen golf courses in St. George. Sounds like a fool's errand.
This idea might make sense at first, but when you give it some thought, doing so would make even more sense.
"Draining Lake Powell" would not mean bypassing the power plant. It means you run the power plant at high capacity as long as you can, moving water more quickly into Lake Mead. Once below minimum power pool, the decision to try to truly drain the lake is another issue and depends on some other things.
As long as the total volume in the two lakes is less than Lake Mead capacity (and currently it is so by a substantial margin) it makes a lot of sense to send the water to Mead. In fact, if the primary issue was drought or water issues, that would be a no-brainer.
Lake Powell really serves no purpose at these water levels. That doesn't mean the dam should necessarily be removed, but there is a very strong case for letting Powell go (and perhaps drilling new bypasses so the lake can fully drain and the river run free) unless or until Lake Mead proves insufficient to hold the available water.
In the end, the amount of energy produced at the Glen Canyon power plant all be the same regardless. The only decision is WHEN that energy gets produced.
If you shut down Glen Canyon dam entirely then it is no longer self sustaining, & becomes an expense, & hoover Dam would need to cope the cost. So running hoover at full really doesn't change the outcome, not to mention the Glen Canyon Dam turbines will take a lot of damage if LP hits Deadpool, of which Hoover would have to cope. Complete removal of LP would make it so Hoover Lake wouldn't be able to function next drought, which would cost more, & farming would have to cease in the lower basins. Overall draining LP makes no sense, & would only serve to hurt the population of Page, which is set up to service the multi billion dollar boating Industry, & the dam. If anything given the boating Industry at LP vrs Hoover, financially speaking it would make more sense to drain Hoover before Lake Powell. The same argument you made could be made for Hoover Dam. Why not just run Hoover Dam @ full capacity till all the water is gone & then run Glen Canyon Dam till the drought is over. We wouldn't lose any power, & Glen Canyon Dam turbines are newer & more efficient. This is why your argument doesn't work. The only logical solution is to run both dams, & ensure that they both hit Deadpool at the same time, should that time come.
"That doesn't mean the dam should necessarily be removed"
I have yet to see anyone discuss what it would take to actually DO that, as if it is just another mushroom dream and you wave your hand and poof, it's gone!
oh hey looks like we got a hydrologist in the house. I bet you really know what you're talking about huh?
Good info
Glad it was helpful!
lets be clear.. the Navajo were living and surviving out there way before this lake was somebody's wet dream. they will be fine as long as their traditions remain
I completely agree with you. Besides, it makes too much money for many towns, businesses, etc.
A lot depends on the rainfall. If it becomes wet again and we get a bunch of wet years in a row, then no problem. If the rain or snow doesn't increase significantly, then we have a real problem. It is that the reservoir is losing about 1/4 of the inflow to evaporation. That is about 1/3 of the water that Arizona obtains from the Colorado each year. If it comes down to cutting the allotment to California and Arizona or blowing up the dam, guess who is going to win.
Thank you!
Might be time to cash in on some rock bottom prices on western real estate
The problem is building housing where it stops water from going into the ground then to the rivers. Then you add water consumption from pools,washing cars,watering lawns,restaurants, and household use. Drought or no Drought humans are killing the Colorado river. These States up river are responsible for this problem because THESE DAM'S WHERE BUILT TO STOP FLOODING NOT FOR THERE STATE'S PERSONAL USE. It's California's and the American Indians water and they will OPEN THE DAM'S
Everything was great except the apologies. One would probably have been enough, but even that wasn't needed. Thanks for the info! Best discussion on the topic I've heard. Politicians cause 100% of our problems... Especially Democrats.
you started off intelligently until the end...
@@fedupdomer5654 ok. NOT 100%, but pretty darn close. Like really, really close to that.
Well done Thor
Good job Thor!
Good video. Let it rain.
They need to build more dams in California, there the ones taking most of the water from the Colorado river
Almost every single river or creek in socal has multiple dams on it. There’s just simply not enough rainfall in socal to be self sustainable without desalination or stopping agriculture in socal
@@cameronpeterson896 ok then,
So they need to build more desalination plants and more wind mills
you yourself said it more human arrogance of trying to control nature. leave nature alone . we need to learn to live in and around it and stop trying to "control" the river
Just think of the mud bogs that could take place if the reservoir was drained.🤪🤪👍👍 Just wait the next ice age will probably remove the damn that is if there ever is another Ice Age.
This video seems to be a making of a video for the sake of making a video. Only the future will show what will happen to these two dams
😇✌ believe what ever you wanted to believe...i go on restoring what natures doing 100years ago ... let see what is better ...is it NATURES WAY or humans way..😇✌💙 be good at all times and godbless all...
Whatever you do you do would only be temporary. I predict ghost cities in 10-15 years.
Saw you at the Pilot with your boat . I have
Great job Thor thanks for the info. Subscribed
Awesome! I really appreciate it!
Pedro for president
?Es Colombiano?
Draining Glen Canyon Dam would just allow California to keep sucking Lake Mead dry and then where would the West be? The Lower Basin needs to work out the drought problem without the "stimulus" of the Upper Basin's water.
Man, that's such a dumb statement. There are water rights divided up amongst several states and Mexico; California doesnt take more than their fair share. Furthermore, California doesn't get all of their water rights from Lake Meade, they get much of it downstream from the Colorado River at Lake Havasu.
@@southwestxnorthwest "Man, that's such a dumb statement. There are water rights divided up amongst several states and Mexico; California doesnt take more than their fair share. "
Man that's such a dumb statement. FAIR is not, and never was, part of the contract. A *specific* amount of water is required downstream and if there is not enough river flow, Lake Powell must be drained to ensure the lower basin gets the contracted amount; it has nothing to do with "fair" allocation of dwindling resource. Same with Mexico. They are guaranteed a specific amount of water, not a percentage of water.
We should probably give Elon Musk a call........
On PBS I saw an interesting theory (still very much debated) that the jet stream bringing depressions and rain is moving north.
The jet stream is said to be created by friction between warmer and cooler air. With the arctic area warming up at record pace, moving the jet stream north.
The theory expects Washington state and Canada to get wetter and more southern regions will see a climate more similar to northern Mexico.
That may mean a stronger monsoon season for the desert SW which would be interesting
drain the lake so we can have the dust bowl back boy that was fun water begets water
Page would get enough tourism with or without the lake. If Zions brings over a million visitors per year Glen canyon would easily do the same.
I agree the lake is here to stay though.
Sorry. Your reply to my post last night(5/1) is hiding from me. To answer your question, I meant decommission, not remove. Removal would not be necessary and would be more expensive than what it took to build it. As far as plugs.....The spillway tubes flatten out at the bottom beside the dam directly into the original diversion tunnels. They just plugged the tunnel heading back towards the lake. I discovered that by watching "Challenge at Glen Canyon" video found here. Removing them would be the end of the dam unless they could find a way to open and shut the transition from tunnels to spillways.
I went back in March. was there the day it fell below 3525. drug my jet skis up from Texas. Unfortunately, I could either pack camping gear, or fuel. I chose fuel. We planned to go uplake to Escalante, but water temp was 48 degrees, air temp was near the same, and wind was brutal. Even in 4/3 wetsuit, we barely made it past Antelope before turning back. Available daylight would have given us 30 min before having to race back to make the 70 miles to Stateline before dark. We were one of two total people that launched that day. It wasnt worth risk if something had happened. I plan on going back in the fall while Bullfrog ramp is still usable and attempting it again. 15 hour drive each way, and 750$ in fuel somehow has not deterred me from wanting to see Glen Canyon.
It was eerie in the main channel by the dam. The water looked like ink. I am guessing that is because of depth and the sheer cliff face blocks any light from illuminating the water column from the sides.
That's right, it won't be drained.
It's just not going to fill up either.
There you go people there's a lot of damn answers in a lot of damn pictures
HAYDUKE LIVES!
it's lake mead that's feeding lake powell that's dying
Other way around…
.....and what are you saying NOW!
This should answer your question... ruclips.net/video/itnPnLS5Kv4/видео.html
The situation is a well known climate disaster. The best thing a person can do is plan and relocate before the migration rush,. Leave before the massive unprecedented exit of those areas. Because property pricing, real estate, rent, and moving expenses will be astronomical when millions of people are all leaving at once. The pressure on other infrastructure and other economies to accommodate climate migrants will be immense.
Some states, cities will not be able to handle the increase, some places it may be a opportunity of some much needed growth. Some people will die that cannot or refuse to exit in time. FYI... Texas is full.
maybe we should build the wall in another location now... lol texas is HUGE.. problem is all the areas people want to live may be "full" as whatever definition one uses
yes I agree, everyone should move to the east coast. Shoo ;)
Yeah I heard that we are going to build a human chain across the country passing buckets to dump and safe the lake
Hey, I don't make the stuff up, I am just pointing it out lol.
excuze me? arent you draining powell right this minute?
Apparently not? The lake was up from it's lowest even when the shot pipes were open.
Never say never....
yes it is
What you sayin now??
Here's a video I made recently about the subject ruclips.net/video/itnPnLS5Kv4/видео.html
👍
A man walked into the desert saw a river and being natural in natur bilt a dam....then came the haters they hate because they are natural haters.... now what do we do...? That is the question
Lol!!!
Time will tell....
Its all just going to evaporate!
Dog do cove?
Diverting💯%
They have drained it before because of a tiny minnow fish that wasn't even indigenous to the area!
It has been record lows sense!
That did not happen in the Colorado River. They did not drain Lake Powell because of a minnow. You're wrong
Yea, not drained, dehydrated…..Lol…
Dead pool baby!
To think at Deadpool the lake will still be over 140miles big, & unable to let out more water than what comes in. Lake Powell is here to stay 😁👍
Money is king here, as in Lake Powell. Even those that want it drained know this to be true. Only those who create their own energy and have their own wells should have a voice in its demise. Then let's see who we hear.
The quicker the Colorado River basin can be rid of dams and go back to it's natural condition, the better. All those people will just have to go back to their cities, everyone doesn't need to live in the country, it's needed for agriculture and natural habitats for wildlife, NOT subdivisions.
This aged well like milk
Aged more like fine wine 😁🍷
@@ExploreWithThor its drained almost its like Aral Sea story all over again
Yeah accept nothing like that story. Even if Lake Powell hits deadpool the lake will still be 140 miles long, have several bags, & since Glen Canyon Dam wasn't set up to handle silt, the silt drains are too small to let out more than what comes in. Lake Powell is here to stay, & will always be a great place for recreational use.
You keep on telling yourself that, meanwhile you are rapidly, and I mean rapidly, running out of water, you don't have years left, you have only months. The overpopulation of the southwest has already permanently screwed the Colorado River decade's before, and the environment along with it, for what?? People's greed? People's vanity?
oh no months? what ever will we do?
LOLOLOLOL