Lake Powell Alert

Lake Powell Blogger ^ | 11-15-04 | Kent Jorgnsen

[kentj]

On Nov. 21st there is a planned early release of water that will lower the Lake Level by 3 feet - this is a planned release that is supposed to establish new beaches for river runners and help save the humback chub.

The problem is we are in a six drought and what most of California does not realize is that if Powell runs dry California will run dry - current estimates place it at no more than two years at the current rate of decline.

Consider this if Lake Powell had not been in place Lake Mead would be gone - period - a victim of the drought.

So let's take this a little closer to home - if you live in NV, AZ, or CA you can put this in the bank - more of your money will be going towards your water bill becuase the only method in place to control use is the charge more. Do you think the rate will drop when the drought is over? dream on.

Back to the point - they are going drop three feet of the water reserve at lake Powell which is 60% empty right now - if doesn't sound right - registre a complaint at: dkubly@uc.usbr.gov - the comment period ends on Friday the 19th - so please drop them a line and tell them to stop this stupid experiment.

There is a lot of information on this false flood project be it right or be it wrong this is the wrong year, at the wrong lake, at the wrong time to be wasting water on an experiment.

Kentj

You can read more about the many attacks from the enviro's on www.lakepowellblogger.com

[68 grunt]

Hmmmm, man is fine tuning the man-made Lake Powell? Okay with me.

[the_Watchman]

What is the difference between having the water in Lake Powell, as opposed to Lake Mead?

[F.J. Mitchell]

To me it sounds more like the needs of river runners is more important to the powers that be, than genuine needs of the multitudes for such neccessities as taking baths, flushing the toilet, making coffee, Ice cubes for one's bourbon and an occasional drink of water.

[Tacis]

Geez, this IS a tough one! On one hand, you want to help those adorable little humpback chubs and on the other, an opportunity to teach a bunch of blue state ultra-progressive, left-wing liberals what thirsty really means. I'm afraid I gotta go with the fishies. Streisand, I'm told, uses only imported bottled water on her lawns and ceratinly doesn't drink or bathe in tap water. No, definitely the fishies!

[conserv13]

People in CA, AZ, and NV need to use less water, build a desalinization plant or stop living in a desert.

[Final Authority]

It all depends on where one keeps their houseboat.

[68 grunt]

I didn't even read the article, I simply trust the experts. I'm certain that the needs of river runners have very little to do with the actual activity.

I recall when they were filling LP, and all the indian artifacts and unique landscape were being covered, oh, how the media howled about the needs of nature, and not about the needs of man.

[kentj]

Every single lauch ramp around Lake Powell is dry -with the exception of Hall crossing - the economy around Lake Powell depends upon the roughly 2 million people that come to the Lake - the difference is that the water will be released later in the year to Mead, according to the Water law that is in place (which needs to be changed) - one other point the evapration at Lake Mead is far greater than at Powell since Powell is largely a very deep canyon Lake with a much smaller surface area than Mead. The water release is mandated by law so that won't change it should just happen later on - in fact it should be reviewed this year to try and rebuild some of the reserves that have been lost over the last 6 years. If people in California new how serious this is they would all be on their knees praying for rain/snow this winter. Predictions are that it is not going to happen.

Kent

[PeteB570]

Let CA drink dust.

Maybe the tree huggers and bunnie kissers in CA need to build a few dams. While they're at it they could build a few more power plants, oil refineries, roads and shake loose some developement rules so more housing can be built.

What was I thinking (slaps forehead) its CA.

[umgud]

If CA had about 10 million fewer illegals and their US offspring, we'd not need as much water and other infrastructure.

[kentj]

Utah had the highest percentage of "W" voters in the contry - this is not about the blue state people it's about a eight year battle by a bunch of enviro wacho's and a president who was more interested in getting "his wally wonka" wet than keeping the Walleye wet. If you have never been to Powell - you should go - it will make a believer of you. By the way humback chub is not what it's about but you got to love the name.

[PsyOp]

People in CA, AZ, and NV need to use less water, build a desalinization plant or stop living in a desert.

wouldn't be an issue if the libs and enviro-whackoffs in those states didn't thwart every effort to increase storage capacity. Every time a reservoir is planned some nut-job claiims a never seen species that lives only in that one spot will be wiped out if a dam is built. And what dams there are, they are constantly trying to get torn down.

As population increases, so must storage capacity. As for water savings devices, the average low flow toilet has to be flushed three time to get the job done.

[CzarNicky]

So people who live in a desert will find out how much a scarce resource really costs? What exactly is the problem with that?

[shaggy eel]

ping

[WildTurkey]

If people in California new how serious this is they would all be on their knees praying for rain/snow this winter. Predictions are that it is not going to happen.

Uh, Snow in the Sierra's exceeding all records this fall.

[Willie Green]

and help save the humback chub.

Oh how cute!
I didn't know humback whales started out as chubs...
Are they good for bait?

[WildTurkey]

California new how serious this is they would all be on their knees praying for rain/snow this winter. Predictions are that it is not going to happen.

I guess you missed the major storm that dumped an unheard of +1 inch on LA and +1.5 inches on Sacramento. We've hardly seen the sun for the last month. The yard won't even dry out enough to cut it!

[narby]

The Enviros are attempting to drain lake Powell because they didn't like it in the first place. Powell is probably the most beautiful lake on planet earth. That is, when there's water in it.

Enviros don't like the masses having fun with boats. Wastes fuel, dontcha know. They like their deserts without people.

This lake drain is pointless. It needs to stop.

Fox news should do a program on the controversy. Expose the Sierra clubbers for the greedy bastards they are.

[RightWhale]

Many confuse the humback chum with the humpback sucker.

[laredo44]

Uh, Snow in the Sierra's exceeding all records this fall.

How 'bout we send in a party of hungry Donners just to make sure the snow keeps flying.

[PeteB570]

Thanks for reminding me of the one I forgot.

And so add this to my #10 post "Build a bigger fence to keep out the illegals."

[Palladin]

Hah! I thought Colin Powell was melting.

[socal_parrot]

Maybe the tree huggers and bunnie kissers in CA need to build a few dams.

There are 102 dams in CA that hold 100,000 acre feet or more.

While they're at it they could build a few more power plants

24 new power plants have come on line in the past few years with another 25 permitted or under construction totaling an additional 20,000 megawatts.

oil refineries

California oil refineries actually export oil out of the state.

roads and shake loose some development rules so more housing can be built.

1.8 million housing starts scheduled for next year. Unfortunately, most are in the hotter parts of the state.

Water supply alternatives are being discussed in California. In Orange County where I live, cities have been injecting water to refill the aquifers. Desalination plants have also been discussed. Super treating waste water to potable standards has been brought up in San Diego and Lake Arrowhead (I have a vacation home there and I'm not happy about that one).

October was the wettest on record and hopefully the mild El Nino will bring an end to the six year drought.

[F.J. Mitchell]

Isn't Lake Powell,behind the dam that environmentalists were demanding be removed a few years back?

We have little choice but to trust the experts-but I often question their motives.

[JohnathanRGalt]

Predictions are that it is not going to happen.

It all depends on who's doing the predicting: NOAA ANNOUNCES THE RETURN OF EL NIÑO (but not bad as it was in 1997).
____________________________________

El Nino: I am El Nino! All other tropical storms must bow before El Nino! Yo soy El Nino! For those of you who don't "habla Espanol", El Nino is Spanish for.. The Nino! To any of you hurricanes who are listening, step on up! Because nobody can take El Nino! I challenge any of you punk-ass tropical storms to a no-holds barred cage match! Any time! Any coast! I swear to God all Mighty it is time to pay the piper, 'cause El Nino's coming for ya! And it ain't gonna be pretty!

[WildTurkey]

Your link shows higher than normal precipitation predicted for CA for Spring 05.

[oldleft]

I work for a large Water and Power utility in Los Angeles and this simply is not true. The Colorado is low, but California doesn't get much water from Glen Canyon, it's basically a huge reservoir with no tap. They do this every fall before the snows hit the Rocky's. Don't worry about it. If forecasts are accurate Glen Canyon and Powell will see a rise of 40 to 60 feet during the spring melt off.

3 feet is nothing in a narrow, deep reservoir.

[JohnathanRGalt]

yes, The Nino is back.

[PsyOp]

...El Nino...

As a San Diego resident I have to say, "I'll believe it when I see it." Every other year they predict one of these these things and tell us to get ready for the deluge only to have rainfall come in below normal.

[wiley]

Lake Powell is on the Colorado River.

[PsyOp]

If people in California new how serious this is they would all be on their knees praying for rain/snow this winter.

We pray for that every year. Fortunately we already have an early snow pack in the Sierra's from the storms several weeks ago.

[shaggy eel]

Are they good for bait?

,,, I'm just an eel but I can tell you they taste like chicken.

[kentj]

Let's see how does it go - a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - we have had six years of steady decline in our Lake levels - I will believe it when I see it -

[WildTurkey]

Florida did also, then came four major hurricanes this past fall.

[kentj]

You have to be a democrat with that line of BS - but since you say so then it's ok with you if we just pull the plug on CA portion of the water agreement.

[PsyOp]

Super treating waste water to potable standards has been brought up in San Diego and Lake Arrowhead (I have a vacation home there and I'm not happy about that one).

Why not? Millwaukee has been doing it since the turn of the last century and it works fine. Ever heard of the fertilizer MILORGANITE? It is a by-product of the waste water treatment process. Sewage is treated and purified using micro-biological organisms. The end products are pure water and an excellent fertilizer.

The water is then pumped into the lake (Michigan?), to mix with the somewhat poluted lake water, which is then pumped back out of the lake, sent to "water-treatment" plants, and on into the tap.

This is the same process that has been proposed for San Diego, but which has been demonized by the opposition as "Toilet-To-Tap". I'm all for it. Hell, the water produced is of better quality (purity) than much of the bottled water people a sucking down.

[jjmcgo]

Do they still sell Milorganite? My uncle used it all the time, before his fatal brain tumor.
The SF 49ers used it on their practice field in the 1950s and 60s and had a high rate of ALS.
Maybe the folks in L.A. and San Diego would like more information about Milwaukee's water and sewer system and rates of disease before they sign on to this idea.
I don't know where they'll get it though as local health officials have given the fertilizer a clean bill despite enough evidence to require a whitewash investigation. Do a google search and read the testimony of other people who lost Milorganite-using relatives.

[oldleft]

Thanks for telling me I don't know what I'm talking about, and we'll take our dams back now.

By the way, droughts are exactly what reservoirs are for, and Glen Canyon is still about 62% of max.

[PsyOp]

Do they still sell Milorganite?

Sure. In fact it was approved for agricultural use about 6 years ago. For a long time there was fear that pathogens from waste might infect food crops if it were used. But it has been proven 100% safe. The fertilizer itself is made up of thedead bodies of the micro-organisms that consume the human waste material.

Milorganite stands for Millwaukee Organic Nitrogen. This old and proven technology, but one which gives people the willies when they think of drinking water that used to be sewage. Fact is, there isn't a drop of water on this planet that hasen't passed through the kidneys of some organism or animal at one point or another.

If people knew what was swimming around in those pristine mountain lakes pictured on the water bottles they scarf up they'd never buy another one.

[Semper911]

Ping to my CA pal. Do you have an opinion on this?

[Poohbah]

What is the difference between having the water in Lake Powell, as opposed to Lake Mead?

In Lake Powell: it evaporates faster (huge surface area).

In Lake Mead: Hoover Dam silts up faster.

[kentj]

your wrong LP is down 60+ percent that is 40% of max - and your welcome.

[yoe]

BUMP!

People in CA, AZ, and NV need to use less water, build a desalinization plant or [stop]start living in a desert.

We do live on a desert for the most part and CA WAS a desert until irrigation was started for the orange groves - time to go back to desert yards etc.

[Mister Baredog]

To say nothing about the wipe out of the Lee's Ferry fishing community.

My condolences to those folks.

They did this a few years back, didn't it work that time?

[oldleft]

I worked a couple of summers on the ferry at Hall's Crossing in the early '90s and I remember those high years, so don't think it isn't upsetting to see the lake drying up, but like I said the lake is a reservoir first, lake second.

It's serving it's purpose right now by maintaining a constant water supply to the different agencies.

And for those who are asking, LA is building two desalination plants, one at Scatergood near El Segundo and one in Long Beach.

[Don Corleone]

24 new power plants have come on line in the past few years with another 25 permitted or under construction totaling an additional 20,000 megawatts

Yeah! And they are still demanding that we here in AZ send them more power every day. As for refineries..there hasn't been one built in the USA in the last 20 years.

[socal_parrot]

And they are still demanding that we here in AZ send them more power every day. As for refineries..there hasn't been one built in the USA in the last 20 years.

It's not demanding, it's called a contract. The power providers in Arizona entered into them. As for refineries...they are actually exporting oil out of the state. It that's the case, why is there a need to build more in California?

If anyone should be building refineries, maybe it should be Arizona. That way you wouldn't have to import that special summer blend form California and run into shortages again when the pipeline goes down.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Humpback Chub
Gila cypha


Description To 20" (49 cm). Moderately elongate, with distinctive hump on nape (in adults) overhanging head. Greenish-gray above, sides lighter, whitish below. Breeding males reddish-orange below and on paired fins. Head short; snout depressed, broadly rounded, overhanging mouth. Fins large, triangular; 9 dorsal fin rays; 10 or more anal fin rays; caudal peduncle very long and narrow; caudal fin deeply forked.

Endangered Status The Humpback Chub is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as endangered in Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. Its numbers have declined throughout its original range, in the Colorado, Green, Yampa, White, and Little Colorado Rivers, and it has disappeared in some areas due to impoundments, water diversions, and the introduction of exotic fishes. This fish was adapted to the turbulent waters, the temperatures, and the food sources of the Colorado River and its tributaries. The massive dams built along the river changed all that, and a number of fish declined precipitously. The Colorado River Fish Recovery Team and other groups are working to bring native species back to stretches of river between the dams.

Habitat Swift channels of large, turbid rivers.

Range Colorado River system, SW. Wyoming to Mexico. Currently found in Green River drainage, Utah, and Mojave Reservoir, Arizona-Nevada border.

Phot here: http://www.enature.com/fieldguide/showSpeciesSH.asp?curGroupID=3&shapeID=988&curPageNum=10&recnum=FI0337

And they don't taste like chicken... They taste like Chub.