by Mish Shedlock, Mish Talk:
There are more water rights than there is water. Higher prices will result.
Efforts to Save Lakes Powell and Mead Are Underway
This water problem has been understood for over a decade, but water levels are now so low there may be no water or electricity unless drastic measures are taken.
States refused to address the problem so the Federal Government took over. For once, that’s a good thing.
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
The Wall Street Journal reports The Colorado River Is Shrinking. See How Authorities Are Trying to Save It.
That’s a free link for those who want more than the excerpts below.
After years of impasse between states, the federal government has stepped in to try to save the beleaguered Colorado River.
The plans include a short-term fix for an ailing reservoir and longer-term efforts to keep the river flowing. It is unclear how effective these measures will be.
The Colorado River provides water for 40 million people and more than 5 million acres of farmland. But drought and overuse have drained its reservoirs.
The Bureau of Reclamation announced in April moves to boost water levels of Lake Powell, which straddles the border of Arizona and Utah. The massive reservoir was at risk of falling below levels needed to generate hydropower. Its dam helps provide electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes across seven Western states.
Officials channeled water into Powell from an upstream reservoir and cut planned releases from the lake by 20%. So far, the efforts seem to be working. Projections now show levels staying just above “minimum power pool” through next March, when the reservoir is expected to be its lowest.
Minimum Pool
Minimum pool is the level at which no power is produced. Dead pool is the level at which no water flows to downstream homes, businesses, and farms.
Perpetual can kicking by states, all insisting on their rights to water finally brought this crisis to a head.
A legitimate role for the federal government is to handle disputes between states. The federal government should have acted sooner.
