2022 Drought?

[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.

[oklip955]

The problem with the southwest is simply more people then the current water supply that is available. Most of the streams are already being tapped. Sure build more lakes to hold water but when will this end? There is just way too many people for the area. I know that much of the water is being used to crop crops in the desert. Ok now do we still want our tomatoes and lettuce in winter or are willing to go back to eating what is in season? Years ago other parts of the country where used to grow our veggies. The Minnesota valley in southern Minnesota is where Green Giant used to have their cannery and the area produced the sweet corn and green beans that we ate. Now so much is concentrated in areas that can grow year round. Many be we also need to look at we are growing our veggies that are sold in the stores. I think we have a much larger problem to look at.

[Plutonic Panda]

No the problem is more to do with the fact the region is suffering one of the worst droughts in 1000+ years.

[Mississippi Blues]

No the problem is more to do with the fact the region is suffering one of the worst droughts in 1000+ years.

It doesn’t seem that what you’re saying and what oklip955 said are mutually exclusive. The historic drought just means the population of the southwest is going to negatively impact the available water supply even more, meaning how the supply is used will likely need to be adapted.

[oklip955]

One has to look at the big picture. its not just a lack of water from the Colorado river and rivers in northern California, the central valley area agriculture has in many areas already sucked dry or is about to suck dry the aquifers. Some areas the ground has dropped alot. With the collapse of the ground, the depleted aquifers will never be able to refill. Foks this is where a lot of our fruit and veggies come from. This should be a big wake up call. Ok ag uses more water then the cities but shut down the farms and now where are we going to get our tomatoes, lettuce and other products for our tables that we now expect 12 months out of the year??? All I am saying is that it is a big and complex problem. Maybe we need to look at our areas of the country for growing food where there is more water. Maybe we have to limit the growth of the cities. Add in record wild land fires and also considering the earthquake threat. Its complex. We cannot just keep saying we will look at the problems later. I grew up there. I read about the earthquakes and faults. Lots of other problems back in the 70's. Thank you I left to come here for college and stayed. Way way too many problems out west then and many more now. I am just saying that we cannot keep putting these are the back burner.

[Bunty]

No the problem is more to do with the fact the region is suffering one of the worst droughts in 1000+ years.

And then strangely enough, St. Louis and Kentucky have been having 1000-year floods. At least Oklahoma is getting some beneficial rains without having highly unusual freaky flood events before resuming going back to the 100s.

[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.

[bucktalk]

I wonder if Austin/Georgetown Texas will be having water shortages due to the large amount of people and businesses moving to that area .

[TU 'cane]

Tens of millions of people have moved to the American Southwest over the last several decades. How many new reservoirs have been created in the last 40 years? I don't know and haven't searched yet - it's a question for the greater board and the posters trying to just blame one single cause.
There's multiple variables at play here but arguably the single biggest one is the amount of people relying on a singular water source such as this scenario with Meade.

Each SW state should have looked into building at least one new reservoir over the last 10-20 years. Has that been done? Have they advanced beyond any study stages if they did?

One example I know of at least in CA (or maybe it was Washington state?) was they destroyed at least one reservoir in the last few years to restore the waterways original course and encourage salmon migrations. Not sure how large it was or how important it was for watering people though.

Droughts are going to happen, they've been a fact of Earth for as far back as we're able to scientifically look. Maybe building large metropolises in the middle of the desert, or using water for non-native/seasonal crops (to go in line with our globalism supermarket culture), or not building new reservoirs haven't been the best ideas.

Maybe people in Vegas or PHX or elsewhere need to start looking into stillsuits or other forms of water reclamation around their properties or persons. Completely serious.

[chssooner]

Amazing. Cities growing too quickly having water shortages? Color me surprised. That is why I like OKC's steady but not exorbitant growth. It will cost billions and billions to keep LA, Vegas, Phoenix, Austin, Houston, DFW, etc with clean water. It will get done, but the cost and burden will be massive.

OKC is very well off in that department, thankfully.

[chssooner]

No the problem is more to do with the fact the region is suffering one of the worst droughts in 1000+ years.

How about not having massive cities in the middle of a desert? Vegas basically could have been put anywhere, but they chose a desert, an area that, by definition, doesn't get much rain. LA is also in a desert. Phoenix, as well. These cities knew what could, and likely would, happen. Now, citizens will get to bear the cost of making sure those cities don't suck reservoirs or aquifers dry.

Deserts don't just happen, they are there for centuries. Vegas knew that, and didn't care. LA has had water issues for decades. Every year it is dependent on them getting just enough rain. Amd now here we are. Lake Mead may well be gone in 20 years or so.

[Plutonic Panda]

How about not having massive cities in the middle of a desert? Vegas basically could have been put anywhere, but they chose a desert, an area that, by definition, doesn't get much rain. LA is also in a desert. Phoenix, as well. These cities knew what could, and likely would, happen. Now, citizens will get to bear the cost of making sure those cities don't suck reservoirs or aquifers dry.

Deserts don't just happen, they are there for centuries. Vegas knew that, and didn't care. LA has had water issues for decades. Every year it is dependent on them getting just enough rain. Amd now here we are. Lake Mead may well be gone in 20 years or so.

Nope. That has little to do with it. They’ve been fine for awhile but the last 20 years have been bad. Vegas is perfect where it’s at and it’s part of the reason I love it so much. I love desert cities. Placing agricultural farms in the middle of the desert is a bigger part of the problem.

[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.

[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.

[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/

[BG918]

La Niña expected to stick around which typically means a warmer and drier winter for Oklahoma. As we saw last winter areas just to the east can be very different. Not good for our drought situation. Every Oklahoma drought in the past two decades has been during La Niña.