Lake Mead helps supply water to 25 million people. And it just hit a record low.
It's a good time to revisit the slow-motion water crunch in the
American Southwest. Last week, Lake Mead — a key reservoir that helps
supply water for 25 million people in Nevada, Arizona, and California — shrunk to its lowest level ever. And the question of how to grapple with water scarcity is making headlines yet again.
Back in the 20th century, the United States built an army of dams
across the West to tame rivers, generate electricity, and store water in
reservoirs for cities and farms. This intricate system is why
metropolises like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix have been able to
survive in what's basically a desert. Large-scale farming is really only
possible in California's Imperial Valley or central Arizona because of
these dams.
But rising demand and 16 years of drought have put a severe strain on this system. Dean Farrell has created a terrific interactive map showing how key reservoirs in the West have seen their water levels drop dramatically of late: (continue reading)
Duteau Creek reservoir is entirely dependent on annual snow and rain fall.There were years in the past when the reservoir levels dropped seriously and major fish kills were experienced. We should continue to proceed with a Master Water Plan that relies on the more reliable water sources of the valley bottom lakes: Kalamalka and Okanagan lakes.
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