Annual 'Let's look at the Lake Powell Snowpack' thread

[sandm]

if you're farming, time to move to cali. all the articles here in vegas are touting they are not going to lose any water this year from the colorado. only nevada/arizona.

going to get ugly both on the lack of water front AND the lawsuit front as water starts to be rationed. in the end we all lose but the lawyers.

[talltigeguy]

I read that the snowpack this year was about 79% of normal, but the runoff was only 26% of normal. It does seem the runoff was even substantially worse than the winter was. 79% is not good at all, but it isn't abysmal. We have had lower years recently with better runoff.

I know the wind, the rate at which it melts and other factors affect the runoff, does anyone have a link to an analysis of what happened?

On a side note, the compact that distributes Colorado River water is due to be renegotiated in 2026. Currently, rights are given to about 110% or more of the actual water that is flowing. So people have 'rights' to water that doesn't actually exist. Now I understand why my city is so eager to get its 2-4 billion dollar pipeline built to start siphoning a portion of Utah's share. They likely see the writing on the wall that it won't happen if it isn't already in the works by then. I have a hard time thinking that Utah will be able to compete in those negotiations with Phoenix, Vegas and SoCal.

[InstantBreakfast]

Are you referring to the pipeline from Powell to st george?

[talltigeguy]

Are you referring to the pipeline from Powell to st george?

Yes. It will bring water to what is quite possibly the highest per capita water using city in the nation.

[MJO21]

Is all the snow out there going to help? Or is it on the wrong side of the range? I thought I saw where places around Tahoe have gotten a lot of snow already.

[talltigeguy]

Is all the snow out there going to help? Or is it on the wrong side of the range? I thought I saw where places around Tahoe have gotten a lot of snow already.

The snowpack that drains into lake powell is at 118% of the average for this time of year. So that is great! But not like the Sierra Nevadas that have really gotten a pounding and are 167% of normal.

[25cents]

Would love to see the numbers keep increasing. So sad to see the lakes constant decline.

[Zackdogg]

The snowpack that drains into lake powell is at 118% of the average for this time of year. So that is great! But not like the Sierra Nevadas that have really gotten a pounding and are 167% of normal.

And the Sierras is pretty much all in a 3 week period. I think they’re bending the numbers a little, as far as record setting, but we’ll take it. Our lake was unusable in June this year. Hopefully the snowpack will buy us a full summer.


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[boonecragun]

Keep that snow coming!

[boonecragun]

we are already hitting the downward slope on the snowpack. NOT GOOD. Hopefully storms this week in CO will help out, but unlikely.

[boonecragun]

Looks like runoff is now coming in to Powell. If we get 10-15 feet off this year it will be a miracle. Dire conditions for Lake Powell in the coming year. Plenty of water still, but we are at critical levels now and will be for the remainder of the water year.

[talltigeguy]

It was a good year to buy into a more expensive houseboat on the most rapidly shrinking lake in America. I did this in early January...just before we had nearly 8 weeks with no snow. I am also on the closest dock, which is now landlocked, so I might not get it out of the slip at all.

[AussieJohn]

It was a good year to buy into a more expensive houseboat on the most rapidly shrinking lake in America. I did this in early January...just before we had nearly 8 weeks with no snow. I am also on the closest dock, which is now landlocked, so I might not get it out of the slip at all.

WOWSA what a bugger buying into the houseboat for this session
Hopefully you get a chance to get it out and use it
My family was at lake Powell in 2016 with an RV travelling around and back then there wasn’t really that much water there


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[chpthril]

I think I said it one time before in this thread, but there is a movement to return the powell lake canyon to its original state. I think its gaining steam.

Did anyone catch the CBS Powell story this AM? The dude guiding the CBS journalist around the lake and dray parts of the canyon, seemed quite giddy that the lake is draining! He was excited to show off all the areas that have been underwater since the 70's. There may be more to the story, but not much was spoken about climate change, and zero about the difference in water demand today v's the 80's. I bet it if go back the population and demand of the 80's, put that water back in the lake, it would be near full pond. I dont think climate change is the lakes biggest enemy.

[talltigeguy]

I think I said it one time before in this thread, but there is a movement to return the powell lake canyon to its original state. I think its gaining steam.

Did anyone catch the CBS Powell story this AM? The dude guiding the CBS journalist around the lake and dray parts of the canyon, seemed quite giddy that the lake is draining! He was excited to show off all the areas that have been underwater since the 70's. There may be more to the story, but not much was spoken about climate change, and zero about the difference in water demand today v's the 80's. I bet it if go back the population and demand of the 80's, put that water back in the lake, it would be near full pond. I dont think climate change is the lakes biggest enemy.

I find it hypocritical that the environmentalist who touted how beautiful the canyon is drove up the lake, in a boat, in order to get where he was going. I think he should have made the 2 day hike through nearly impossible terrain to get there. Just like he would have to do if he got his wish of draining Lake Powell. Only a very select few could ever see those things without the lake there.

Far more people enjoy the beauty of it now, and it is pretty awesome without having to drain the lake. But it has always been my observation that environmental activists start with some sort of preservation agenda and it eventually ends up in wanting to ban everything, including people from the area.

And the truth is that without Lake Powell, this water shortage would have been upon us 5 years ago, so the lake has served its purpose. None of the 'remove the dam' folks have pointed that out.

It is true that the inflows have been lower the last 20 years, so it is a combination of decreased inflow and increased usage that created this problem. A fix of either one would help.