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Sam Morris / Sun file photo
Discoloration around the banks of Lake Mead shows how much the water level has declined over the years.
Thursday, April 15, 2010 | 10:42 a.m.
Although the El Niño has brought large storms to the southwest, it hasn't been enough to reverse the shrinking of Lake Mead, Southern Nevada Water Authority staff reported at the agency's monthly board meeting Thursday.
Many of the watersheds that feed the Colorado River have gotten less rain and snow than normal this year. In some areas at the extreme north end of the basin, precipitation is less than half of what could be expected in a normal year.
The flow into Lake Powell is 66 percent of the normal levels. That means the lake won't reach equalization -- which keeps the lake full by passing on to lower basin states only their 8.23 million acre foot annual allotment of water in low flow years -- and that the lower basin won't get the extra water needed to raise levels at Lake Mead. Lake Mead is now at 44 percent of capacity.
Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy said that unless precipitation levels raise significantly next winter, Las Vegas could face rationing by early 2012.
In a 2007 contract between the lower basin states, brokered by the Interior Department, Nevada agreed to reduce the amount of water it takes from Lake Mead by 13,300 acre feet a year once the water in the reservoir drops to 1,075 feet above sea level.
The loss would be enough water to supply 6,650 average Southern Nevada homes at the rate they’re using water today.
Elevation 1,075 is also the point where the Water Authority says it will have to begin building its pipeline project. The agency in recent years has contended this option is something of a last resort -- and something that wouldn’t be triggered for many years.
"Next year is a telltale year," Mulroy said.
In other news, SNWA Deputy General Manager of Engineering and Operations Kay Brothers announced she will retire after 20 years with the agency and is moving to Colorado.
SNWA Board member Susan Brager asked her to do a rain dance once she gets there.
Get rid of abandon properties and reduce the population in Las Vegas.
Less people equals less water.
Less available housing will also mean higher prices.
All the reporting about the water level in Lake Mead says that (whatever: gallons, water level, etc.) is enough to supply (whatever number you want) of homes . How about reporting on how many hotel rooms that amount will supply? There are a lot more tourist rooms than homes in the Las Vegas valley.
DUH! If you keep letting out more then comes in the level goes down. Local consumption doesn't compare to whats let out down river every day.
It is a lie from these water authorities.....they are comspiring to get consumers to use less and at the same time raise the water rates charged. They are doing the same thing in California...and the State Governments are just sitting by and doing nothing.... this is no different than Enron and the power scam ..... same as the gas companies jacking the gas prices, claiming shortages....it's all b.s. ..... voters need to no believe it.... media needs to investigate the scam.
Have you looked at the lake recently?!?
piratepk
Hey, you live in the desert. Water isn't very plentiful in the desert. How is that a scam?
If I'm not mistaken, the melting snow pack from the rockies determines the Colorado River and subsequently Lake Mead's water levels. Of course our over population is the main factor. Keep moving out people!!
The entire west has not received the snow and rainfall to sustain current water levels. Streams that normally flow througout the year have stopped flowing. The Great Salt has receded to a level that will require years of good snowpack to bring it to its normal level. These are indicators that we cannot ignore and presume that the water is available within the states is sustainable.
The western states will need to reassess how they are going to go through the upcoming drought without depleting its water sources.
WE once thought that water was an infinite resource and we went forward with development ignoring the consequences of depleting local water resources. WE must kick ourselves and wake up to face the water shortage and live within what nature provides us and stop making promises to deliver water without approval from the rainmaker/s.
Soon a glass of water will be $1.00.
They are just trying to make a buck,and they will.
A pipeline is the only solution. It is obvious, but it will never be built unless the politicians in control of the land benefit from it which I don't see happening anytime soon. Our restrictions are still weak...especially when I'm allowed to water my lawn (shrubs) any day I want this summer.
Anyways, this year's decline in Lake Mead isn't as rapid as it's been the last two years. ..And the rise from this spring is actually higher than the last two level rises too.
http://graphs.water-data.com/lakemead/in...
A couple of years ago I remember a few scientists proposing that we were losing far too much water to evaporation by maintaining both Lake Mead and Lake Powell, and that we needed to strongly consider letting Lake Powell go dry.
Not surprisingly, Arizona officials didn't think much of the idea.
Still, I'd be interested in hearing if this idea could get legs as the water levels continue to drop. The evaporation loss from maintaining two huge water reservoirs in the middle of a desert has to be staggering.
There is a lot of talk about the looming water shortages in the American southwest and the pipe line from central Nevada to the Vegas valley.
The biggest question of this idea is cost and how long will the aquafier last?
I think there is a better source of water available for the Southwest... The Mississippi river .. if the major players in our area, both public and private were to combine their efforts and do a study on the feasibility of a pipeline connecting a series of reserviors across the arid regions I believe there would be a consensus on its viability.
Expensive? Of course it would be ,but there is enough water going out to sea every day to support millions of new residents and the towns that would spring up around the reservoirs.
If such a pipeline/s followed Interstate hwys 10 and/or 40 right of ways, the cost and impact of such a project would be significantly reduced.
10% of the average daily flow of Mississippi river flow at New Orleans is 50 billion gallons of water,approx 40,000 acre ft.!
Could the country that built such projects as the Panama canal turn the desert into an economic bonanza that would rival some of Americas most prosperous growth spurts?
Anonymous Guy: that's a very interesting idea. By reducing the amount of surface area covered by water, we could reduce the amount of water exposed to surface heat and wind leading to evaporation. (Think of how long it would take a cup of water to evaporate versus how long that same amount of water would take to evaporate if you spilled it out on a table.)
I wonder if Lake Mead could reduce its surface area and increase depth in the center as well. This might be a minimal reduction, however.
In many ways, this seems like an issue we should be able to handle. We built a highway system by blasting through mountains; we built the Hoover Dam; we sent a man to the moon. How can we not get some of the excess water that falls in eastern and northern states each year to flow down to the southwestern states?
Just a quick clarification. The lake levels and runoff projections come from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, not the Water Authority.
Find them here at: http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html
...in other news, Kay Brother's IS GETTING THE HE11 OUT OF HERE!
Brager what a JOKE! Great job at CCSD??????
I've been listening to Mulroy's echoed scams since the 1980's! She & her comrades may fool the ignorant, but not the prudent.
Under their quise that Lake Mead has not enough water surplus for Vegas, for decades they concoct their $$$ pipe dreams, & create laws that water users pay for them!
The reason? To hold a MONOPOLY upon all real estate development. Only a fool would suggest a moretorium on housing and agriculture. But without water supply, there are no houses or agriculture anymore.
They monopolize effluent water reclamation & appropriate it ONLY to their political corporations, depriving all individual contracts. The remaining effluent they pipe back to the river, under their "water credit" scam, then open the dam gates sending it to Mexico.
They perpetrate & perpetuate a water shortage, & a lot of fools fall for it. Like Fox news & their tea party hoax?
The above picture is is also a scary but deceiving hoax. The water level goes up & down, depending on if the dam gates are open or shut. The lake has done that, every since the Hoover Dam was constructed, over 70 years ago.
Remember, whoever controls the water rights, controls the real estate.
Let's see. Rationing. Well, the first thing to go will be drinking the foul chemically treated waste water. No problem except bottled water will go to $2 a gallon. Fine.
Then the plants, trees, and grass go next. Fine, we live in a desert.
Then we'll have to limit our showers. Soon we will stink like the collusion between the city councils and the builders and the SNWRA. But that's fine, too, we're used to it. And since residents will be equally aromatic, only our out of town visitors might be repelled. But we're losing them anyways, right? Anybody remember when Saturday night was bath night?
Funny, no mention of limiting growth with a sensible plan based on future water resources available now. Right, Patty M.?
Las Vegas water usuage has next to no impact on the elevation of Lake Mead... This may be hard to understand but all this water goes through six dams on its way to Mexico border. On its way journey it is siphoned off to California and Arizona at Lake Havasu. The water that continues down stream goes through canals to irrigate California farms for the vegies we eat. Southern Nevada never has and never will receive their fare share of the water. Don't cut your showers short because Nevada failed to correctly negotiate water rights back in the 30's.
Jimmy,
That "water rights back in the 30's" does NOT EXIST. It is the PROPOGANDA excuse to screw all of you silly! Even if such water rights ever existed, they are not enforcable today.
Mulroy & her politicians convince the public to believe her hardship stories!
"Water Rights"? That is all regulated & enforced by the State of Nevada. The Feds have NO JURISDICTION.
Show me, don't snow me.
You all are being SCAMMED by your county commissioner trustees, who are trustees for every fricken agency in Clark County.
They own you, your property & liberty, over their conspired "water rights" scams they fabricate.
Desertlandentryman. Do a search on Colorado River Compact and get the information that proves you wrong. You make a lot of accusations so why not offer up some proof. Right after your done reading about why you are so wrong on most of your rants.
The Pacific Ocean is only a couple of hundred miles to the west. Distillation of ocean water and pumping it via a ~60" pipeline at a good rate of flow should resolve the Lake Mead water level and Las Vegas valley water needs problem. Just a suggestion from one who used to produce H2O on the USS Enterprise at 350,000 gallons a day. It takes ENERGY to DO this. Notice the winds we have here and the sunshine that seems to be readly available. All it takes is leadership by someone out there who wants to do the right thing........Come on let's do the right thing.............Pumping water from the Mississippi River "might" be possible....Problem with doing anything in this day and age is that everywhere you turn somebody will want to stop it....and dumb us will let the vocal .0001% decide whither or not we should procede....
Fool, YOU show me, don't snow me!
I could look forever for treaties or so-called "compacts"!
I tell you that NO binding contract exist, or can never be enforced in a court of law.
The blind leading the blind.
Business as usual!
Just want everyone to go and check out www.water-data.com You can go to this site and find the out flows of Lake Mead and other lakes. I have been following this site for years and have never seen them open the flood gates to let out this much water at this time of year. This has been staged for a SNWA political agenda. There is no drought.
They are just sending our water down the river just so they can lower Lake Mead so they have the reason to rob the water from northern Nevada. Then they call this a crisis because of the staged drought. Check it out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!