Lake Powell Water Faces Relocation into Lake Mead

[ihuntforfish]

The Glen Canyon institute has begun disseminating leaflets and presenting conferences which attempt to persuade coffers and lawmakers to consider a Lower Colorado River conservation plan called 'Lake Mead First' which requires emptying Lake Powell to it's minimum pool in effort to fill Lake Mead. The driving mantra behind 'Lake Mead First' is to have one full reservoir rather than two dwindling reservoirs. The accumulation of hydrological studies throughout the past decade presents demonstrable evidence which shows the amount of water being drawn from the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins exceeds the amount which is being deposited into them--more water is being taken than is being supplied. If this pattern continues, neither lake will be sufficient enough to be provide water or energy for the regions that they sustain. With this problem in mind, 'Lake Mead First' straight-facedly addresses this reality and proposes that Lake Powell's surplus water storage be deposited into Lake Mead in order raise it's level to full pool, leaving Glen Canyon Dam in tact and ready to store water once again (if ever snow-pack and rainfall inundation should permit). The favorable aspects that the Glen Canyon Institute notes is the very low cost of such a plan, which does not require the creation of any new facilities. Water loss will be prevented; being a sandstone basin, the floor of Lake Powell allows the loss of 300,000 - 400,000 cubic feet of water into the porous water table below, an amount that far-exceeds a full year of water allotment for the entire state of Nevada. This amount of water could be securely stored in Lake Mead. Aside from water seepage, having two reservoirs significantly increases the amount of evaporation since more water surface-area is exposed to the hot desert sun. As for recreation, Glen Canyons sunken wonders will once again be revealed--ready for interaction by visitors, and available for study. Natural monuments, land-bridges, lost Anasazi ruins, and deep winding slot canyons will be ready for both canyoneers and kayakers. As for fishing...the massive population of game fish will be concentrated into the low canyons and river. The average size of striper, largemouth, and smallmouth will grow immensely due to an over-abundance of available forage and steady water levels. For more information on Lake Mead First, visit the website of the Glen Canyon Institute, or google 'Lake Mead First Conservation'
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[TheWhizzle]

I love the idea. Thanks for finding this. I heard about it on NPR the other day.
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[dtayboyz]

Need flaming gorge water too.
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[StarsnStripers]

Ya man bring it on!!!! Lets all hope it happens
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[wolfs4evr]

Wow. Interesting.
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[trout_slayer]

You guys are out of your mind if you think this is a good idea. I much rather see us get rid of Mead. Lake Powell is such a BETTER fishery and scenic lake than Mead. Yes, I know the impacts of Mead, but IF this plan ever came to fruition it should be the other way around. Just my own opinion of course! Don't knock Powell till you have tried it.....ALL of it!!!

TS
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[reellittlephish]

A quick parse of Glen Canyon Dam on Wikipedia shows this is a very complex issue with many parties involved. Factors like siltation, flood control, hydroelectric generation etc. all come into play.

Personally I liked fishing lake Powell on the one trip I took there.

I'd think this decision to lower or drain Powell would take a long time if it ever happened at all..
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[Greg84]

Never going to happen. Aside from the other issues, if you look at the Colorado river compact, the river system is split between Northern and Southern states. Once water leaves Powell it leaves the northern states zone and enters southern. Once here it can never be shipped back up river and California gets 60% of it. Nevada only gets 4% of the water and we can't even get anyone to agree to a slightly higher share let alone draining a lake.

Throw in the environmentalists are lobbying to dump water from Mead down steam to flood and "revitalize" the Mexican delta in the Pacific Ocean, and the Northern states would be insane to give up control.

The only thing that will refill Powell & Mead is the earthquake that drops S. California into the ocean.
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[StarsnStripers]

Ya man I know its probly a bad idea Im for having all of the fishable water close to home as possible. I just remember how awesome the fishing was back when mead was pretty full...
There is pros and cons to every idea but we all know whatever the powers that be decide will make the richest richer is what will go down.
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