{"id":359738,"date":"2024-12-30T15:50:09","date_gmt":"2024-12-30T14:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=359738"},"modified":"2024-12-30T15:50:12","modified_gmt":"2024-12-30T14:50:12","slug":"u-s-water-woes-southwest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=359738","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Water Woes \u2013 Southwest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"481\" data-attachment-id=\"359765\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359765\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?fit=1920%2C1276&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1920,1276\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;6.3&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D3200&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;18&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.00625&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0usa-2075213_1920\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?fit=723%2C481&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?resize=723%2C481&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359765\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?resize=1024%2C681&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?resize=300%2C199&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?resize=768%2C510&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?resize=1536%2C1021&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?resize=1200%2C798&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2024\/12\/29\/u-s-water-woes-southwest\/\">Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guest Essay by <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/author\/kiphansen2\/\">Kip Hansen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"378\" data-attachment-id=\"359740\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359740\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-520.png?fit=400%2C378&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"400,378\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-520.png?fit=400%2C378&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-520.png?resize=400%2C378&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-520.png?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-520.png?resize=300%2C284&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reservoirs are simple.&nbsp; They can be viewed as a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/climateactiontool.org\/content\/manage-stormwater-use-rain-barrels\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rain Barrel<\/a>&nbsp;with a water spout (from a roof, for instance) supplying incoming water, a faucet near the bottom of the barrel for extracting water from the barrel, and some overflow mechanism.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Great Salt Lake \u2013 an Exemplar<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the iconic geographical features of the American west is the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Great_Salt_Lake\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Great Salt Lake<\/a>&nbsp;(GSL).&nbsp; Now the GSL is not a reservoir, but it can serve us here as a lesson about the reservoirs of the Southwestern US.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/opinion\/letters\/2024\/12\/25\/letter-series-great-salt-lake\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent letter to the Salt Lake Tribune<\/a>&nbsp;from a subscriber rightly accused the newspaper and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.upr.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Utah Public Radio<\/a>&nbsp;of misrepresenting the plight of the GSL in a recent&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sltrib.com\/news\/2024\/12\/16\/great-salt-lake-study-warned-lake\/?utm_campaign=PNIdK7m3Ypxkzck&amp;utm_source=gifted614151719&amp;uid=PNIdK7m3Ypxkzck\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">three-part series<\/a>.&nbsp; The reader, Maria Archibald, writes succinctly:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201c\u2026snow (or lack thereof)&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/GSL-Assessment-Feb2023.pdf?x71849\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">is not even a primary cause of the lake\u2019s decline<\/a>. Precipitation cannot solve a problem it did not cause, and asserting otherwise is both incorrect and dangerous. Sure, the extra snow [winter 2022 and 2023] offered Great Salt Lake a temporary reprieve and may have postponed its collapse by a few years, but&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/d36oiwf74r1rap.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/GSL-Assessment-Feb2023.pdf?x71849\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">humans continue to guzzle one million acre-feet more than our water system can sustain<\/a>\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Archibald is absolutely correct; &nbsp;weather, which affects precipitation (mostly&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/attheu.utah.edu\/facultystaff\/from-mountains-to-the-great-salt-lake-the-secrets-of-snowmelt\/\">snowpack<\/a>&nbsp;in the case of the GSL), is NOT the reason the lake levels are low, getting lower or remaining low. &nbsp;I found the same to be true when&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2023\/04\/01\/the-great-salt-lake-losing-its-greatness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I wrote about this issue last year.<\/a>&nbsp; I recommend&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2024\/12\/27\/drought-in-the-southwestern-u-s\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Andy May\u2019s most recent essay<\/a>&nbsp;on drought in the Great Southwest for&nbsp; an answer to this question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Great Salt Lake, there is only&nbsp;<strong>inflow<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>evaporation<\/strong>&nbsp;(which is the outflow).&nbsp; The volume of water in the lake at any one time (measured by its surface level) depends almost entirely on the amount of water ALLOWED to enter the lake.&nbsp;&nbsp; Evaporation changes with weather (mostly temperature) but is not a controllable variable.&nbsp; In our GSL Water Barrel example, water is diverted from the downspout \u2013 diverted from all of the streams and rivers that naturally flow to the GSL, for human use as drinking water and irrigation for agricultural.&nbsp; These uses annually divert 2.1 million acre feet (MAF) of the water that would otherwise enter the lake leaving the lake with an annual deficit \u2013 overall loss \u2013 of 1.2 million acre feet of water. &nbsp;Thus, the lake cannot return&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/greatsaltlake.utah.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/Great-Salt-Lake-Strategic-Plan-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to the size preferred by conservationists and environmentalists<\/a>&nbsp;[pdf].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note:&nbsp;&nbsp;<em>That&nbsp;<strong>deficit<\/strong>, in words, is&nbsp;<\/em><em>three hundred ninety-one billion twenty-one million one hundred thirty thousand gallons of water.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>For many, water in the Southwest means The Colorado River System<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-attachment-id=\"359743\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359743\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-522.png?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,225\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-522.png?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-522.png?resize=300%2C225&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-522.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-522.png?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two weeks ago, I wrote about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2024\/12\/17\/u-s-water-woes-northeast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Water Woes in the northeast&nbsp;<\/a>part of the country \u2013 featuring NY City and Philadelphia.&nbsp; Today I\u2019d like to discuss the region most associated with not enough water in the eyes of most citizens and the main stream media \u2013 America\u2019s great Southwest region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This part of the United States is generally arid \u2013 dry \u2013 and almost all of it is recognizably to most people as desert (though not strictly so in the K\u00f6ppen Classifications).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"670\" height=\"720\" data-attachment-id=\"359745\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359745\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-524.png?fit=670%2C720&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"670,720\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-524.png?fit=670%2C720&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-524.png?resize=670%2C720&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-524.png?w=670&amp;ssl=1 670w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-524.png?resize=279%2C300&amp;ssl=1 279w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 670px) 100vw, 670px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">[\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/US-Koppen-Map-full.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">click here for full sized continental image<\/a>\u00a0]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The yellow-beige-brown colors are arid areas\u2026the purples are high mountains with snow cover in winter.\u00a0 The greenish areas in Arizona and Southern California are a climate type called Warm Temperate with Dry Hot\/Warm summers \u2013 they are not lush green areas as the color would seem to imply.\u00a0\u00a0These are Climate Types \u2013 they have been the same for hundreds, and maybe many thousands of years.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"220\" data-attachment-id=\"359748\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359748\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-526.png?fit=300%2C220&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,220\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-526.png?fit=300%2C220&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-526.png?resize=300%2C220&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359748\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Normally, arid dry areas are sparsely populated, as inhabitants have to raise crops and keep herds to eat, and agriculture and herding require water.\u00a0 Little water = little food.\u00a0 But sometimes things don\u2019t go that way.\u00a0 The true Desert Southwest, as shown in the image here, is one of the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/library\/visualizations\/2019\/demo\/desert-southwest.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fastest growing population areas of the country<\/a>. As civilization has advanced, humans have found ways to live in challenging environments \u2013 even the U.S. Southwest.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"245\" data-attachment-id=\"359750\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359750\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-527.png?fit=300%2C245&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,245\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-527.png?fit=300%2C245&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-527.png?resize=300%2C245&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359750\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Add to that image, the Los Angeles\/San Diego megalopolis, which occupies the entire coast west of that desert (shown in blue in the California map).&nbsp; &nbsp;The population of the LA\/SD megalopolis is about 23 million today.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mwdh2o.com\/colorado-river-aqueduct-map\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Some of the water for Los Angeles<\/a>&nbsp;is supplied by the Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Where does the water come from for all these people?&nbsp; \u201cThe mighty Colorado River serves 40 million people in seven states and two states in Mexico. It also irrigates 5.5 million agricultural acres of land, including 15% of American agriculture and about 90% of the nation\u2019s winter vegetables.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp; That 40 million people represents 12% of the population of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, as in the case of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2024\/12\/17\/u-s-water-woes-northeast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">U.S. Northeast<\/a>, &nbsp;some the precipitation that falls, as rain or snow, &nbsp;is captured in reservoirs that hold the water and slowly feed it to the consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>So, what\u2019s all the fuss about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"359751\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359751\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-528.png?fit=800%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-528.png?fit=723%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-528.png?resize=723%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359751\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-528.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-528.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-528.png?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lake Mead, formed by the Hoover Dam, is the primary reservoir for Colorado River water, by which we judge the availability of water for the southwest.&nbsp; The water height has been falling since the turn of the century, almost 25 years.&nbsp; Officially in a \u201cShortage Condition 2\u201d \u2013 far below the Drought Condition.&nbsp;&nbsp; As we\u2019ll see I the images below, at the top of the system the major reservoir is lake Powell, behind the Glenn Canyon Dam.&nbsp; Powell feeds Lake Mead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the historical inflow of Lake Powell:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"453\" data-attachment-id=\"359752\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359752\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-529.png?fit=800%2C501&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,501\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-529.png?fit=723%2C453&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-529.png?resize=723%2C453&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359752\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-529.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-529.png?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-529.png?resize=768%2C481&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There have been up years and down years \u2013 most recently three low years followed in 2023 by a well up year and this year, with a month to go, a just below average year.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notice the dissimilarity between the top of the barrel inflow and the barrel water level \u2013 Lake Mead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And coming out of Lake Powell, the streamflow at Lee\u2019s Ferry, which is considered the inflow for Lake Mead, looks like this long term:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"488\" data-attachment-id=\"359754\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359754\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-530.png?fit=800%2C540&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,540\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-530.png?fit=723%2C488&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-530.png?resize=723%2C488&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-530.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-530.png?resize=300%2C203&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-530.png?resize=768%2C518&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let\u2019s take a look at the whole system:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"678\" height=\"864\" data-attachment-id=\"359756\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359756\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-532.png?fit=678%2C864&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"678,864\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-532.png?fit=678%2C864&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-532.png?resize=678%2C864&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-532.png?w=678&amp;ssl=1 678w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-532.png?resize=235%2C300&amp;ssl=1 235w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 678px) 100vw, 678px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here we have a map of the Colorado River Basins\u2026.both delineated on the East by the Continental Divide.\u00a0 For our purposes \u2013 the Water Woes of the U.S. Southwest, the most important portions are the Upper Basin and the Lower Basin above Yuma, Arizona.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see the reservoirs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"938\" data-attachment-id=\"359757\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359757\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?fit=800%2C1038&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,1038\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?fit=723%2C938&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?resize=723%2C938&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?resize=789%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 789w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?resize=231%2C300&amp;ssl=1 231w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?resize=768%2C996&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-533.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These four lakes, their names sized by their relative importance, are the water supply for 40 million people \u2013 for their homes, their business, and the crops and herds. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we found in the Northeast with NY City\u2019s reservoirs, some reservoirs supply the inflow to downstream reservoirs. &nbsp;Here we see the northern tributaries to the Colorado, the Green and the San Juan (with their tributaries), have dams that divert some of the water and feed the rest downstream finally to Lake Powell, which itself feeds water through the Grand Canyon region to Lake Mead which feeds Lake Mohave which feeds Lake Havasu and on down south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The northwest portion of Utah, seen to be outside of the Colorado River basin, &nbsp;is the watershed for the Great Salt Lake.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"325\" data-attachment-id=\"359760\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359760\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-535.png?fit=300%2C325&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"300,325\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-535.png?fit=300%2C325&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-535.png?resize=300%2C325&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-535.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-535.png?resize=277%2C300&amp;ssl=1 277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In southern Arizona, the Salt and Gila Rivers run down to just north of Yuma, where they supply the water for the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/All-American_Canal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">All American Canal<\/a>, which feeds water to the rich agricultural lands of the Imperial Valley \u2013 and the runoff from those lands flows down into the Salton Sea. &nbsp;Recently,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/esassoc.com\/news-and-ideas\/2024\/09\/managing-the-salton-sea-strategies-for-a-sustainable-future\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">water conservation efforts in the Imperial Valley<\/a>&nbsp;have limited that runoff threatening the existence of the Salton Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That map makes it appear that the mighty Colorado flows happily into the Gulf of California.&nbsp; That is, for good or ill, not true.&nbsp; Google Earth reveals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"686\" data-attachment-id=\"359761\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359761\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-536.png?fit=800%2C759&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,759\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-536.png?fit=723%2C686&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-536.png?resize=723%2C686&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-536.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-536.png?resize=300%2C285&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-536.png?resize=768%2C729&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S.G.S. describes the area seen in the satellite photo above this way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c\u2026. this NASA Earth Observatory satellite photo from September 2000 shows, irrigation and urban water needs now prevent the river from reaching its final destination. Rather, the Colorado River just disappears into the desert sands. \u2026. The river comes to an end just south of the multicolored patchwork of farmlands in the northwestern corner of the image and then fans out at the base of the Sierra de Juarez Mountains. Only about 10 percent of all the water that flows into the Colorado River makes it into Mexico and most of that is used by the Mexican people for farming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"589\" data-attachment-id=\"359762\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=359762\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-537.png?fit=800%2C652&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,652\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-537.png?fit=723%2C589&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-537.png?resize=723%2C589&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-359762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-537.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-537.png?resize=300%2C245&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/image-537.png?resize=768%2C626&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The thin grey line in the photo is the official boundary formed by what would be the Colorado River, if it had water in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bottom Lines:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1.&nbsp; The American Southwest is a generally arid, dry region.&nbsp; Unsuitable for dense human population, without the technologies necessary to store and move huge volumes of clean fresh water for drinking and agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2.&nbsp; The US federal government built most of the major dams and aqueducts on the Colorado River between 1910 and 1970. The Colorado [and the Rio Grande] are now considered to be among the most controlled and litigated river systems in the world. Since 1960, the population of the region has tripled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">3. &nbsp;<strong>Too Many People \u2013 Not Enough Water<\/strong>. &nbsp;This simple fact is widely known to all levels of government in the Southwest \u2013 there are commissions and committees and treaties and agreements galore \u2013 none of which create more water but only serve to divide the available water a little differently with each new demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">4.&nbsp; Despite the scarcity of new water sources, towns and cities in the southwest continue to grow, with thousands of new homes being built and businesses moving into the area.&nbsp;&nbsp; Some cities, such&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/06\/01\/climate\/arizona-phoenix-permits-housing-water.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">as Phoenix, have started to deny building permits for housing developments<\/a>&nbsp;that don\u2019t have adequate pre-planned water sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">5.&nbsp; Further north, in California, the Sacramento River, which flows into the Pacific via San Francisco Bay,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ppic.org\/publication\/policy-brief-tracking-where-water-goes-in-a-changing-sacramento-san-joaquin-delta\/#:~:text=The%20climate%20in%20the%20watershed%20is%20changing:,resulting%20in%20less%20inflow%20to%20the%20Delta.\">is similarly being bled dry by the demands of the cities of Central California<\/a>.&nbsp; In wet years, the reverse is true \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ppic.org\/blog\/can-we-capture-more-water-in-the-delta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">too much water flows through the Delta into the Bay<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">6.&nbsp; The claims that the Water Woes of the Great American Southwest are due to \u201cclimate change\u201d are simply false \u2013 the climate there has not changed in any appreciable or significant way \u2013 it is now and has been dry for a very long time.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10584-006-9065-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">It has been drier<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong># # # # #<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Author\u2019s Comment:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I grew up in Southern California, Los Angeles.&nbsp; Dry hot summers \u2013 occasional rain storms \u2013 now called&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Atmospheric_river\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Atmospheric Rivers<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 &nbsp;washing houses down the steep mountainsides.&nbsp; In university, I fought flooding and mudslides as a volunteer, with hundreds of other students.&nbsp; &nbsp;Southern California politics were often overwhelmed by the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/California_water_wars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">California Water Wars<\/a>.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just recently, California&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktvu.com\/news\/sites-reservoir-californias-largest-new-reservoir-project-decades-moves-forward\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">began to move ahead with a new reservoir,<\/a>&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Sites_Reservoir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sites Reservoir<\/a>, the first new reservoir in decades \u2013 and probably decades too late \u2013 and was actively opposed by various so-called conservation and environmental groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is no shortage of water on the planet \u2013 but not always enough fresh water where it is needed or wanted.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks for reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong># # # # #<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the iconic geographical features of the American west is the\u00a0Great Salt Lake\u00a0(GSL).\u00a0 Now the GSL is not a reservoir, but it can serve us here as a lesson about the reservoirs of the Southwestern US.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":359765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691832352,691832351,691826834,691832355,691832354,691832353],"class_list":{"0":"post-359738","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-drought-in-the-great-southwest","9":"tag-great-salt-lake-gsl","10":"tag-lake-mead","11":"tag-lake-mohave","12":"tag-lake-powell","13":"tag-the-colorado-river-system","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/0usa-2075213_1920.jpg?fit=1920%2C1276&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1vAe","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":243234,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=243234","url_meta":{"origin":359738,"position":0},"title":"Sorry, NPR, Your Story on the Great Salt Lake\u2019s Decline Was a Half-Truth","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/04\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The record is clear; rainfall patterns in Utah haven\u2019t changed.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-163.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-163.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-163.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-163.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-163.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":215323,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=215323","url_meta":{"origin":359738,"position":1},"title":"Lake Mead Low Water Levels: Overuse, Not Climate Change","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/24\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The real problem is that too much water is being taken out of the reservoir.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1032.png?fit=1120%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1032.png?fit=1120%2C630&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1032.png?fit=1120%2C630&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1032.png?fit=1120%2C630&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/image-1032.png?fit=1120%2C630&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":241093,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=241093","url_meta":{"origin":359738,"position":2},"title":"The California Drought is Over. 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Is it? We report. You decide. Here\u2019s is Carlton\u2019s claim: First, the history of Lake Mead\u2019s elevation is actually quite volatile. And the elevation is relatively low now \u2014 about 1,070 feet. But today\u2019s elevation\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/image-108.png?fit=728%2C364&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/image-108.png?fit=728%2C364&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/image-108.png?fit=728%2C364&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/image-108.png?fit=728%2C364&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":206728,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=206728","url_meta":{"origin":359738,"position":5},"title":"Is Lake Mead shrinking because of climate?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/01\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guest Post by Steve Milloy Wall Street Journal reporter Jim Carlton\u00a0says\u00a0Lake Mead is shrinking because of climate change. Is it? We report. You decide. Here\u2019s is Carlton\u2019s claim: First, the history of Lake Mead\u2019s elevation is actually quite volatile. And the elevation is relatively low now \u2014 about 1,070 feet.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.15.55-PM-768x417-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.15.55-PM-768x417-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.15.55-PM-768x417-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0Screen-Shot-2022-06-20-at-12.15.55-PM-768x417-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359738","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=359738"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":359767,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359738\/revisions\/359767"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/359765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=359738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=359738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=359738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}