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  1. #1
    Senior Member zeezil's Avatar
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    WARNING! Lakes Mead and Powell could run dry by 2021

    Please see assessment posted below regarding this article:

    Lakes Mead and Powell could run dry by 2021
    It's a 50 percent possibility, a new Scripps study finds, which would squeeze water supplies in Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico.
    By Peter N. Spotts | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
    from the February 13, 2008 edition

    Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which supply water and power to millions in the American Southwest, stand a 50 percent chance of running dry by 2021 unless dramatic changes take place in how the region uses water, according to a new study.

    Causes include growing population, rising demand for Colorado River water, which feeds both lakes, and global warming, according to scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif., who conducted the study.

    The results underscore the importance of water-conservation measures that many communities throughout the region are putting into place. Other studies, some dating back nearly 20 years, have projected that Lake Mead could fall to virtually useless levels as climate warmed, but they lacked a sense of the timing. The new results, the Scripps scientists say, represent a first attempt to answer when lakes Mead and Powell would run dry, squeezing water supplies in Arizona, California, Nevada, and New Mexico.

    "We were stunned at the magnitude of the problem and how fast it is coming at us," notes Tim Barnett, a research physicist at Scripps who led the effort. By "dry," the team means that water levels fall so low behind the Hoover and Glenn Canyon Dams that the water fails to reach the gravity-fed intakes that guide it through turbines or out through spillways. In addition, the report estimates that the lakes stand a 50 percent chance of falling to the lowest levels required to generate electricity by 2017.

    Last week, Dr. Barnett published additional work in the journal Science attributing 60 percent of the reduction in snowpack, rising temperatures, and reduced river flows over the past 50 years to global warming.

    The latest work "not only shows that climate change is a real problem. It also shows it has direct implications for humans – and not just in the third world," says Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, Calif. The institute focuses on links between sustainable development and global security issues. "Even without climate change, we're taking too much water from the Colorado. So it's no surprise that if we continue to take too much, the reservoirs will go dry."

    The message is not lost on water planners, adds Sharon Megdal, director of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona in Tucson. After years when discussions of climate change and water sat on the back burner, regional water managers are "beginning to get on the same page" regarding adaptation to global warming, she says. "At least they're asking the questions that need to be asked."

    To Barnett, whose results have been accepted for publication in the journal Water Resources Research, time is of the essence. It takes so long for the planning process – and what some see as the inevitable legal challenges – to play out that he dubs the water-supply issue an "immediate" problem.

    Given the effects of projected population growth on water resources, it might seem that the best solution would be to post "Keep Out" signs at state borders. But Dr. Gleick points out that changes in water use could go a long way toward easing the crunch. Such changes could include boosting the price of water to more closely reflect its value, requiring xeriscaping for homes and commercial centers, and on the farm, growing less water-intensive crops and using more miserly irrigation techniques. "Grow alfalfa in Minnesota or Iowa, not here," he says. "These are all plausible; they are not difficult decisions."
    http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0213/p25s05-usgn.html
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  2. #2
    Senior Member zeezil's Avatar
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    This region of the country has the largest populations of illegal immigrants, by far. In fact, some estimates say that California alone has 50% of the illegal immigrants. According to a recent CAPS study, there are 20 –38 million illegal aliens in America. Taking a conservative approach and taking the mid point of the number and then taking 50% of that result (remember, taking the region as a whole indicates that this percentage should be much higher), we come up with this:

    29 million illegal aliens (x) 50% = 14.5 million illegal aliens

    This very conservative estimate of 14.5 million illegal aliens is additional population that is taxing the water supplies of these water bodies. Folks, we can’t control population if we can’t control immigration. And if we don’t control population we can’t control anything. Everything in every country is related to population numbers. Is population growth good and necessary? Yes and no. So let’s say sometimes…and it must always be matched with needs and resources. What’s the best and most effective way of controlling population growth? IMMIGRATION CONTROL…silly!
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  3. #3
    Senior Member sippy's Avatar
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    Great, more rhetoric from the Al Gore followers. What a bunch of idiots. Of course they are not taking into account the current events.

    Yes, Lake Powell dropped to its lowest point in its history in 2004, but on the overall average, it has been slowly rising again.
    Currently, with all the snow we've received this year, that part of of UT has 167% above normal snow pack for the year, which will help south eastern UT and the water shortage. Now bear in mind this is only one part of UT. There is only one region in UT that is below 100% normal snow pack for the year, and this area is Escalante, just outside Bryce Canyon. Every other region in UT is well over 100% snow pack for a normal year, and we usually get our worst storms in Feb and March.
    Our Hydrologists are even talking about possible floods this year because of the large volume of snow pack, and having it melt too quickly. They have also said that by summer, they expect EVERY lake in UT to be at full capacity, with the exception of Lake Powell.

    Here are our current snow totals for 08. Pretty impressive considering the drought years we've had.

    http://www.ksl.com/?sid=134181&nid=149

    Man made global warming...Give me a break...

    If both lakes do dry up, it won't be due to "man made" global warming. What a bunch of non-sense. I can't wait until this farce is finally exposed for the BS it really is.
    "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results is the definition of insanity. " Albert Einstein.

  4. #4

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    Speaking of Global Warming - I have NPR on my bedroom alarm, because they usually say something that irritates me and inspires me to get up and shut off the alarm.



    The other morning, some roving reporter was interviewing some native Alaskans, and asked them about the threat of global warming. Nonsensical questions "it make you sad? Are you worried about your people, and your livelihoods? "

    The Alaskan guy said no, if it floods we'll move to higher ground...the snow melts and we can't fish, we'll farm...we're a pretty adaptable people!

    I laughed out loud.
    "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -- John Quincy Adams

  5. #5

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    If we don't control our population growth, Mother Nature will do it for us.

    The USA was a much nicer place in '50's when we had just 180 million people. Fewer people also means less dependence on foreign oil.

    One way to solve the population bomb is not to give welfare to people with more than 2 children, and we should also get tough on Third World immigration since they are known to have huge families.
    [b] If we do not insist on Voter ID, how can we stop illegals from voting?

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