[bayview6]

The #3 intake can supply the same amount of water as #1 and #2 intakes combined. When and if the water level gets to about 890 ft elevation no water will leave the dam for AZ and CA. What water remains can only be used by NV and its alottment of 270,000 acre feet of water is a drop in the bucket compared to the water that remains in Lake Mead. The Colorado River is still flowing strong, its the huge over-alottment to AZ and CA that is draining Lake Mead.

[jtjtjtjt]

Originally Posted by mark56868

Forget about underground water, digging another intake line at the bottom of Lake Mead, and for get about conservation. These are all bandaid short term solutions. The real answer to replenishing Lake Mead, keeping Hoover Dam making electricity, and supplying water not only to Las Vegas but all the other affected cities and states is to build a water pipeline to redistribute water from where it is abundant to where it is needed.
My favorite source would be the Columbia River, because despite the water rights held by Oregon, the inescapable truth is that trillions and trillions of gallons of water are lost and wasted as the Columbia River flows into the ocean at Portland Oregon. Instead of waiting for Cailifornia to build a pipeline to the farmers in Central California, Nevada should build this pipeline to get water upstream of a Lake Mead, and move get a higher position in line for water rights above their current last in line position.

Maybe we can get Warren Buffett to finance it if we call it the Buffett Pipeline.

I prefer a different way of getting lots of fresh water from there to here.

1. Evaporate water off the coast of CA and let the westerly winds blow it inland as clouds. Hit it with some silver iodide and make some rain.

2. Space mirrors to heat the pacific ocean in the right places to cause El Nino which we can turn on/off like a giant rain valve.

3. Grab a big ball of ice asteroid and throw snowballs from space at Lake Mead. By the time it gets to Lake Mead, it will be gentle rain from space.

[dito777]

the well water tastes like pee and is probably poisonous

[redfarm]

Bottom-line on water. There is enough for 20 years. However, we are upstream. When the going gets tough guaranteed we are going to shut down the flow downstream and California is going to be on desalination only.

[BibleBurner]

So are you guys drinking from the tap then?

I'm thinking about buying one of whole-house reverse osmosis systems eventually...

[redfarm]

normal super replaceable filter thing in the refrigerator. ...water tastes good.

[lvoc]

Originally Posted by redfarm

Bottom-line on water. There is enough for 20 years. However, we are upstream. When the going gets tough guaranteed we are going to shut down the flow downstream and California is going to be on desalination only.

Isn't going to happen unless the weather really goes nuts. There is a huge flow in the Colorado. The problem is we use more than flows.

Present snow pack is 15 or 20% above average and the best for the last four years.

Don't have to shut down the flow downstream it is automatic. When Lake Mead reaches a certain level it simply cannot get past the dam. At that point Las Vegas gets it all.

California has lots of water of its own. It is mostly the agricultural operations that use the Colorado. There is some flow to Southern California but it is minor compared to the agricultural use.