2022 Drought?

[Plutonic Panda]

This is so disheartening to see. Hopefully something changes and these lakes can get filled back up: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/21/weath...edium=news_tab

[ChrisHayes]

This is so disheartening to see. Hopefully something changes and these lakes can get filled back up: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/21/weath...edium=news_tab

Not likely. When Meade was filled up back in the mid 80s, the population of Vegas was 500k. It's now well over 2 million. Never mind the millions more people living in Arizona southern California. California hasn't built a new reservoir in decades. New reservoirs there alone would have helped markedly.

[Jersey Boss]

Not likely. When Meade was filled up back in the mid 80s, the population of Vegas was 500k. It's now well over 2 million. Never mind the millions more people living in Arizona southern California. California hasn't built a new reservoir in decades. New reservoirs there alone would have helped markedly.

Lol, Lake Mead was filled in 1935. Like many reservoirs in this country including Oklahoma it was a federal project.
The lack of will in addressing infrastructure is a disgraceful legacy of Congress.

[Bunty]

Not likely. When Meade was filled up back in the mid 80s, the population of Vegas was 500k. It's now well over 2 million. Never mind the millions more people living in Arizona southern California. California hasn't built a new reservoir in decades. New reservoirs there alone would have helped markedly.

A tunnel has been built under Lake Mead to reach the remaining water from the middle of it. I guess they have faith the record-breaking drought will go away in time before it's down to the last drop.

[ChrisHayes]

A tunnel has been built under Lake Mead to reach the remaining water from the middle of it. I guess they have faith the record-breaking drought will go away in time before it's down to the last drop.

There seems to be some kind of misguided belief that even if there wasn't any drought in the southwest, Lake Meade would always be able to provide water, no matter how many people live there. Many millions of people have moved there since Hoover Dam was built. It was doomed to happen eventually. Drought or no drought. If California had built more reservoirs like one that's been planned since the 1980s, the problem would be mitigated.

[Zorba]

There seems to be some kind of misguided belief that even if there wasn't any drought in the southwest, Lake Meade would always be able to provide water, no matter how many people live there. Many millions of people have moved there since Hoover Dam was built. It was doomed to happen eventually. Drought or no drought. If California had built more reservoirs like one that's been planned since the 1980s, the problem would be mitigated.

The amount of water taken out of Lake Meade has been capped since the beginning at 9.6M acre-feet. The problem is, there has been no flexibility to decrease that number with decreasing inflows.

[gopokes88]

There seems to be some kind of misguided belief that even if there wasn't any drought in the southwest, Lake Meade would always be able to provide water, no matter how many people live there. Many millions of people have moved there since Hoover Dam was built. It was doomed to happen eventually. Drought or no drought. If California had built more reservoirs like one that's been planned since the 1980s, the problem would be mitigated.

Or expand nuclear and desalination plants. Supply and demand should be addressed when it comes to water, not just demand.

[gopokes88]

This is so disheartening to see. Hopefully something changes and these lakes can get filled back up: https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/21/weath...edium=news_tab

Eventually the West will hit a breaking point, Congress will act and an interstate water system gets built.

https://bigthink.com/the-present/an-...ts-water-woes/

The volume of energy needed is immense no doubt. More nuclear, green and natural gas plants would get built to help with that. The east has the water the west needs, political will won't be there till a tipping point is reached.

[PaddyShack]

Eventually the West will hit a breaking point, Congress will act and an interstate water system gets built.

https://bigthink.com/the-present/an-...ts-water-woes/

The volume of energy needed is immense no doubt. More nuclear, green and natural gas plants would get built to help with that. The east has the water the west needs, political will won't be there till a tipping point is reached.

Just to add my $1.25(adjusted for inflation)...

Look what had to happen here in OK for the Federal government to step in. I don't think we have quite hit the same extremes seen during the Dust Bowl days out west. Once we get to that point, then the Fed will do something.

[gopokes88]

Just to add my $1.25(adjusted for inflation)...

Look what had to happen here in OK for the Federal government to step in. I don't think we have quite hit the same extremes seen during the Dust Bowl days out west. Once we get to that point, then the Fed will do something.

Unfortunately, and in some cases fortunately, our Federal system makes it hard to act quickly so things will have to hit a huge breaking point before things really get going. The 2021 infrastructure bill has some band aids in the mean time.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/p...owell-2615242/

[Plutonic Panda]

Eventually the West will hit a breaking point, Congress will act and an interstate water system gets built.

https://bigthink.com/the-present/an-...ts-water-woes/

The volume of energy needed is immense no doubt. More nuclear, green and natural gas plants would get built to help with that. The east has the water the west needs, political will won't be there till a tipping point is reached.

I agree. I would expect more desalination and nuclear plants to be built at some point in the 2030s or 2040s.