Some Colorado River drought info........

[Mandelon]

The US Bureau of Reclamation may curtail deliveries to states in 2007. It will be the first time states have not been able to receive their guaranteed allotments due to lack of supply.
The eight year dry spell has left Mead slightly more than half full and Powell at 42% of capacity.
It would take 16 years of normal rainfall to refill Mead, which provides water for 18 million downstream residents.
Nevada may get to build desalinization plants along the west coast and exchange for Colorado River water.
Enjoy your boats now folks, for tomorrow it may not be so easy.
:(

[JetBoatRich]

8 years:mad: we sure enjoy the sunshine:cool: but a few good rains sure would not hurt:frown:

[burtandnancy]

Mandolon, you are dead on. A further draw on Lake Mead is that the fastest growing city in the US, maybe the world, is Las Vegas and they draw 90% of their water from Mead. The good news (?) is that the treated wastewater goes back into the lake.
Pray for lots of wet snow or rain in the rockies, we have to feed Lake Powell before it comes down to Lake Mead...

[rude235]

It would take 16 years of normal rainfall to refill Mead
now THAT'S depressing:eek: :eek:

[BarryMac]

and I just bought my dream boat, guess I better enjoy it. Lake Tahoe here I come.

[Debbolas]

The River Between Needles and Havasu, is pretty consistant
(except at night when the water level goes up and grabs the newbies camping stuff and some folks jet skis ....)
Lake Mohave didn't look low.....
I think Lake Tahoe has Major restictions......
Isn't there some big water up north, The Delta?

[jody165]

Lake Mead and Powell are the designated lakes which fluctuate with the seasonal rainfall so they take the brunt of any drought. Lakes Havasu and Mojave as well as the river itself remain at their optimum levels during most drought periods. Until of course Lakes Mead and Powell go dry...:eek:

[BiggusJimbus]

No.
No water up here.
Forget about that idea.
Please.

[fourspeednup]

Originally posted by Debbolas
The River Between Needles and Havasu, is pretty consistant
(except at night when the water level goes up and grabs the newbies camping stuff and some folks jet skis ....)
I was drinkin on a dock last mem day weekend at around 11PM and watched a new sea doo float past---:eek:
Doe that happen often?

[Debbolas]

When we camp at Park Moabi, sometimes we share a beach with the next pennisula campsite. Several times the campers have pitched their beach stuff and driven up the river to Laughlin. (The water lever rises quite a bit at night. ) So we have picked up most of their stuff and hauled it higher on the beach. Sometimes they don't even notice.......If you anchor your ski, or boat, and don't put anything over the beach steak, the rope can float off.
We have almost lost a ski, found it down by topock the next day. We are carefull to place milkcrates over our beach steaks.
:D

[Buff]

A while back I brought all this drought stuff up and got singed from all the flaming. Sorry but the whole thing portents tough times a-coming unless a deluge saves our boating asses - not likely though. Before long we may be paying $4.00 a gallon for gas and $8.00 a gallon for water! It's sadly ironic that the Colorado River lakes and Parker are seeing larger and larger boats and the there is less and less water. We are gonna be like those crocs, elephants and hippos on the Discovery channel where their lake turns into 2 inches of muddy water during the drought. There we all will be - trying to drop our Imco 4x4 and Six drives down into cracked, barely damp mud! At least the behemoth boats will have the ocean to run to and when Powell and Mead are dry cracked hard pan canyons and Mohave and Havasu are no more than the trickling shallow Colorado the little hot boats will come back. Don't sell that old 18' jet with the big block you have stashed in the yard - you may need it to pick and skip your way along the Parker Strip. I just hope the beer prices don't go up with the gas and water. I wanna be dead wrong on this dire prediction. - buf

[DEEZ NUTTS]

Just roll with it. My new to me 31' Formula that I bought specificaly for Powell will provide me with 2 solid motors for a mud bogger, and the hull makes a damn good travel trailer. Just have to take a 6' ladder to get in.

[CrazyHippy]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
Mandolon, you are dead on. A further draw on Lake Mead is that the fastest growing city in the US, maybe the world, is Las Vegas and they draw 90% of their water from Mead. The good news (?) is that the treated wastewater goes back into the lake.
Pray for lots of wet snow or rain in the rockies, we have to feed Lake Powell before it comes down to Lake Mead...
Hmmm... you must be from Kalifornistan... you know the state that has been taking more than it's alloted share of the colorado river for nearly 50 years:eek: Nevada took more than it's share for the 1st time in history in 2003:confused: :confused:
Vegas is in Drought restrictions, only allowed to water your lawn one day a week, cant wash your car in the driveway, etc. Is LA???
Why the F-ck not?? :mad:
Nothing personal, just dont like mis-information...:yuk:
BJH:cool:

[Buff]

Clean vehicles and grass lawns are over-rated. Screw 'em both - gimme a dusty truck and a cacti and stone front yard anyday. And how about backing off on these water-sucking golf courses. There are folks in Apache Junction that play golf in the desert just as it lies! The only water they consume is what they drink. Golfing in a garden is for pussies! (I probably shouldn't have mentioned that stuff about golfing in the unimproved desert - now the environmental mentals will probably try and shut them down.) buf

[6 Dollar Boat]

Originally posted by CrazyHippy
Hmmm... you must be from Kalifornistan... you know the state that has been taking more than it's alloted share of the colorado river for nearly 50 years:eek: Nevada took more than it's share for the 1st time in history in 2003:confused: :confused:
Vegas is in Drought restrictions, only allowed to water your lawn one day a week, cant wash your car in the driveway, etc. Is LA???
Why the F-ck not?? :mad:
Nothing personal, just dont like mis-information...:yuk:
BJH:cool:
California has been taking more than it's fair share so the rest of the world can EAT. Do you think those all you can eat buffets in vegas would be that great if we didn't ship our fruits and veggies there.
LA is not in a drought situation because we have the Sierra Nevada Mtns. Most of our water comes from Northern Cali, not The Colorado River.
If you want to learn a little about where all the water in the Colorado goes, buy Huell Howser's video on the Colorado. http://www.calgold.com/calgold/Default.asp?Series=Specials&Show=644

[CrazyHippy]

Originally posted by Buff
Clean vehicles and grass lawns are over-rated. Screw 'em both - gimme a dusty truck and a cacti and stone front yard anyday. And how about backing off on these water-sucking golf courses. There are folks in Apache Junction that play golf in the desert just as it lies! The only water they consume is what they drink. Golfing in a garden is for pussies! (I probably shouldn't have mentioned that stuff about golfing in the unimproved desert - now the environmental mentals will probably try and shut them down.) buf
I agree, to fill the lake up, i'm willing to have a dieing lawn, and a dirty truck, but when someone tells me that it's vegas's fault teh lake is so low... I'm not afraid to call BULLSHIT!!
I'm more than willing to do my part to fill the lakes back up, but what good is it doing when someone else is taking WAY more than they are supposed to, and not conserving themselves???
Hey at least you caring Kalifronistanians are willing to donate Chomium to the cause of filling the lakes back up:yuk:
BJH

[burtandnancy]

Crazy Hippy, no one is BLAMEING Las Vegas for the low water, just stating that between the 8 year drought, heavy demand down river and the growth of LV, we've got to put up with it for a while. I partially share your concern, we have a home in BC, very similar restrictions. I've seen the water level of Lake Mead lower than it is now in "56 at 1083 and saw the high in 83 when it went over the spillways at 1225. It came back from its low and will do so again, but it may take longer as conditions have changed so much. Don't let anyone know, but there's still a great lake out there...

[Mandelon]

If all the people who moved to California would just go back to wherever they came from it would be a great place again. Don't blame Californianians, blame all the migrants who came here from other states and other countries, I don't consider them Californians, they are tourists who didn't go back to Iowa, Ohio or wherever......
California took more water because the other states didn't need it at the time, for years AZ and NV took all the water they wanted but did not reach their allotments, so CA took it to keep it from going to the Gulf of California, its not lilke the other states went without.
Soon enough the desert states will exceed their allotments....then they will be building desalinization plants in CA, to trade the water for CA's river water.......
And I'll be stuck boating in the Pacific.....
:frown:
I agree that we should start conservation measures now rather than waiting till its too late.

[cdog]

The river drains into the Baja of Mexico/Sea of Cortez. FYI
When the lakes dry up. I'm movin to Florida.

[THOR]

First, Buf is a dipshit that cant buy a clue.
Second, LV only uses a fraction of the water that Az and CA get. There is not only a large agricultural demand for the water outside LV, there is an even bigger electricity demand. FYI, if the water reaches a level that commands drastic measuers, there is a bill that could be proposed to farmers that would pay them there annual revenue in exchange for them not using water for growth.
While I lived in LV the native Las Vegans dont really understand what 'drought' means. Plenty of folks were letting their sprinklers run into the gutters along with taking 15 minutes showers. Many folk here and there dont do their fair share of saving. It is sad.

[Reddy Too]

CrazyHippy
And don't forget that the Nevadians donated all of the perchlorate in the Colorado River via the Kerr McGee facility along the Las Vegas Wash :o

[CrazyHippy]

Hell it looks like we'll have enough nuclear waste taht we'll be able to donate some of that to the cause too:yuk: :yuk: :yuk:
Anyone interested in 50 million tons of Nuclear waste?? Nevada is willing to sell it CHEAP!!!
BJH:mad:

[Ziggy]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
Crazy Hippy, no one is BLAMEING Las Vegas for the low water, just stating that between the 8 year drought, heavy demand down river and the growth of LV, we've got to put up with it for a while. I partially share your concern, we have a home in BC, very similar restrictions. I've seen the water level of Lake Mead lower than it is now in "56 at 1083 and saw the high in 83 when it went over the spillways at 1225. It came back from its low and will do so again, but it may take longer as conditions have changed so much. Don't let anyone know, but there's still a great lake out there...
Patience to fill them back up is right but the timetable surely will be longer since the consumption rate has increased several times over. I well remember as a kid traveling with my parents seeing Powel very low still, it was still in the original fill mode at that time

[SPECTRABRENT]

Burt,
What is the deepest part of Lake Mead?
Brent

[Outnumbered]

Originally posted by SPECTRABRENT
Burt,
What is the deepest part of Lake Mead?
Brent
The main river channel is about 450 feet deep on the lake maps, so I would say about 350 feet or so now.
OL

[SPECTRABRENT]

I thought it would be deeper that 450 ft..
Thanks,
Brent

[Outnumbered]

That is the river chanel depth up where I boat near Temple Bar based on the lake map they sell at the marina. Its in the boat so I'm going from memory. Its deeper by the dam. Apparently the max depth is 590 feet and I would assume that is at or near the dam.
Mead FAQ:
http://www.sunsetcities.com/hoover-dam/faqs-00.html

[burtandnancy]

About a 1/4 mile short of the dam is a "coffer dam" put in when they were under construction to divert the water around and thru the spillways. Before they put in the anti-submarine nets (since 9-11) you would pick it up on your depth finders. I got the details from a NPS Ranger when I questioned the funny readings I was getting (in the old days). Threre must still be places as deep as 500 feet.
Out at Midpoint, they have been able to dive to the crashed WWII B-29 (as seen recently on the HIST channel, due to the lower water level...

[Debbolas]

didn't a town that was flooded, resurface as well?

[Outnumbered]

Speaking of B29s....check this out...
http://www.indepthconsulting.com/B29/B29Lost.htm

[RiverToysJas]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
Threre must still be places as deep as 500 feet.
...
Wouldn't the deepest point be at the dam?
RTJas :D

[sandblasted]

Originally posted by THOR
First, Buf is a dipshit that cant buy a clue.
Second, LV only uses a fraction of the water that Az and CA get. There is not only a large agricultural demand for the water outside LV, there is an even bigger electricity demand. FYI, if the water reaches a level that commands drastic measuers, there is a bill that could be proposed to farmers that would pay them there annual revenue in exchange for them not using water for growth.
While I lived in LV the native Las Vegans dont really understand what 'drought' means. Plenty of folks were letting their sprinklers run into the gutters along with taking 15 minutes showers. Many folk here and there dont do their fair share of saving. It is sad.
Don't blame the 15 minute showers and overwatering of lawns too much...Agriculture and commercial businesses waste way more water than residential use...There are a ton of reasons why water is wasted...Sure California needs water to feed the world but many farmers are have also switched to crops like rice and cotton, which use way more water than oranges and peaches!! Also many farmers use open canals as opposed to closed drain pipes, its cheaper but the loss to evaporation is significant....
The single biggest problem in the west is that the states have not built enough reservoirs over the last 20-30 years...if California actually captured a larger amount of our rainfall the state could be self efficient when it comes to water.....

[burtandnancy]

Debbolas, yes, St Thomas has resurfaced just NE of Overton. You can drive to it and then walk the ruins. Don't pick up anything, a ranger is watching and there is a stiff fine if you get caught...

[burtandnancy]

Debbolas, yes, St Thomas has resurfaced just NE of Overton. You can drive to it and then walk the ruins. Don't pick up anything, a ranger is watching and there is a stiff fine if you get caught...

[RacerX]

Look on the bright side. When the lakes dry up, it will be just yet one more place to go do some dirt bike riding. As much as I like wakeboarding, I'm looking forward to getting my kids into dirt bikes. I'm going next week to buy them their 1st bikes!!!:D
We used to go to Powell every other year but after seeing all the damaged outdrives last year at the Malibu dealer, we're trying other places. Last year, we spent our time at Mojave and Havasu. This year, we'll be doing (2) Laughlin trips and a week long trip to Bass Lake....

[Debbolas]

Originally posted by burtandnancy
Debbolas, yes, St Thomas has resurfaced just NE of Overton. You can drive to it and then walk the ruins. Don't pick up anything, a ranger is watching and there is a stiff fine if you get caught...
Ok, thanks, we are staying at Overtons in June. Is it nice? Is the water deep enough there?
:D