Glen Canyon Dam, The Bridge, & The Lake, 2021

[@michaelangel8133]

Lake Powell is still a great vacation destination, had zero problem launching our boats, tragic that national Park service is destroying this recreational use, dangling rope closed for no reason

[@ExploreWithThor]

I feel your pain on that one. But I totally agree that LP is a great place to come & visit!

[@slkgeothermal]

I recently finished reading "The Emerald Mile" which is a history of damming the Colorado and the tour companies that took adventurers on weeks long trips down the untamed river. It is pretty amazing reading and the highlight is the effects of the river at high crest and an attempt to set the speed record through the Grand Canyon.

[@paulmatulavich7321]

Anyone interested in seeing clips of this dam under construction should watch the Route 66 television show from the 1960s which was filmed onsight. The name of the episode was 'Layout at Glen Canyon'. There are scenes from inside the spillways while under construction, and other locations.

[@chrismerkel9604]

Wow the smartest and brightest due to their greed severally damaged the dam and they got away with it.

[@JamesMcGillis]

When I visited Glenn Canyon Dam in 1965, there was a temporary bridge at or near the current bridge location. To save weight, it had cable suspension and a perforated steel roadway. There was enough of a gap between each roadway slat that you could look straight down to the river, many hundreds of feet below. Each time a truck rumbled over the bridge, the whole structure vibrated, creating a sickening feeling in my stomach. After experiencing that, I retreated to solid ground. Even today, the speed limit on the concrete-arch bridge is 25 mph.

[@ExploreWithThor]

For good reason. it is a tourist hot spot, people everywhere . i hate going that slow, but i know it is the right thing to do

[@wxmyjnsn]

A realy powerful statement: Under Ideal conditions it will take 7 years to refill. We know that is not going to happen.

[@michelroubaud2331]

We know this will never happen again for a long time

[@pixelchi]

We took a house boat vacation for a week in I believe 1996 on Powell. Had a blast. Even then, I remember the bath tub ring was starting and maybe 4-6 feet above the water level at the time. Never dreamed the water level would drop to where it is today.

[@JamesMcGillis]

Once it reaches dead-pool elevation,, the turbine intakes will be high and dry, allowing no electrical power generation. Then, the dam would be a true white elephant. Evaporation and banking of water already account for about a fifteen percent loss of volume annually. Today, it's sole purpose is for recreation, but at a very high price. There is insufficient available water for farming, industry and household use. The time for action is now. Drain the lake. Save the river.

[@ExploreWithThor]

looking over who has first the water rights & according to them, lake powell will never be drained. tourist, vacationers, & the billion $ boating industry is to important to let go. drain tge lake, & basically subject Page to destination & poverty. not to mention draining the lake would only be a stopgap measure. enevitivly the colorado is going to get smaller, provided nothing changes.

[@Sailor376also]

I too love Lake Powell. In 2016 I paddled the full length except for a stretch approaching Page. There are hard choices and hard times for the Colorado River system this year, 2021, in particular. The South West has 1200 years of climate history, wet, dry, warmer, cooler. Extremely wet years bounce around on a sometimes 40 year scale,, dry years similar,, full drought the scales are more on the order of by century. We are now into a near 40 year decline in water and lake levels. The real fear,, the great danger is not this year directly,, rather 2022. Extreme measures should already have been taken to preserve the water held at present,,, because there is nearly nothing coming down from the mountains this year. Colorado River,, the total flows are as much as 1/10 of what is common,,, and,, same with the Green River. Spring flows in my experience are normally 15,000 cfs each on the Green and Colorado. so far that number is 2,000 or 4,000 cfs on each. If it remains such,,, 2022 will be a real problem.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Indeed, by 2022 its likely the dam will cease electric generating operations. It does not help that our government is coming up with any excuse they can to dump the water. Not long ago they dumped I think 5% of the water out for an experiment with a fish down river. You know I could be mistaken, but I think it was something like 40 years ago that it was discovered part of the lake could be mined for uranium, & since then their has been a push for consistent mismanagement of the water. I am not much of a conspiracy person, but it makes me wonder. Because you are right, they should have implemented drought control measures years ago. I just can't imagine it was pure incompetence they did not. But then again our government has turned into the laughing stock for the rest of the world, so who knows? I think I will just try to enjoy what time I have left.

[@Sailor376also]

@@ExploreWithThor I do not believe it is any conspiracy,, the momentum of the past will be more than reason enough. The very recent high release,, and then historic low release,, was to repair infrastructure. (just a few weeks ago) Farmers want all the water to continue,, people want to use water as they are used to,, electric generation as they are used to,,,, It really is a balancing act. So many acre feet of water released to keep everyone happy,,, and the major portion of that released in the evening to generate electric. But,,, If 2022 or 2023 continues as is seen this year,, there will be insufficient water for anything but drinking water. The austerity to make it through 2023,, MUST begin now. The drought may suddenly end,, rain and snow fall by the buckets,,, It has reached the point that cannot be the solution. To wish for something that has not happened in 40 years ,, except for the two wet years,,, foolish to the point of suicide. If we had ten wet years in a row,,, we would just be filling the empty spaces.

[@ExploreWithThor]

@@Sailor376also Very true, It does seem like a one way ticket at this point in time. but anything is possible however unlikely. lucky for me their is other bodies of water I can move on if this one dries up, & one of my callings in life is to see what is around the corner, & there's lots of corners to look around. unlucky for a lot of others tho. It pays well to be a nomad in today's society. Change is always on the docket, & I will try to be ready when it is time. This is why I live on an 8ft wide boat, it travels over land better then it travels in the water HAHA!

[@knobbiesshreaded3137]

We took a vacation there in the 60s. Dad rented a small boat and took the family around the lake. We were swimming through underwater arches. Grabbing large rocks and having contests to see who could sink the furthest. We were dumb kids having a great time. The lake looks like some of those spots may be above water for the first time since then.

[@ExploreWithThor]

that is very much so the case, but on the flip side it has exposed overhangs that were below the water as well, I am hoping to get out to some of those in the near future.

[@allen9343]

It wasnt finished until 63 and the lake wasn't accessible until the 1980. If you were there it was a puddle...

[@knobbiesshreaded3137]

@@allen9343 The Lake is at about 3560 today. In 1966 it was around 3535. About the same size puddle.

[@pawfan]

Thanks for your observation of things.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Happy to help

[@elrobo3568]

Hey, wait! we need the fountains and man made lakes in Las Vegas and Phoenix! I want to have my pontoon boat parked next to my back yard so I can drive around on our private lake. There is plenty of water here in Arizona, oh wait, was that Lake Powell? or Lake Mead? They are down so low? Well we still need our 120 golf courses that use on average 1 million gallons daily. Even if it is reclaimed it is still a waste.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Indeed, but I also would give some credit to the farmers in California growing cow feed for China. No joke.

[@Cosmicsurfpro]

@@ExploreWithThor I'm about sick of China 😂

[@chrismerkel9604]

The east coast and mid west will not be able to handle the mass exodus of people when they finally run out of water. Its a disaster of epoch proportions!

[@randylarkin7022]

Ha I have seen the fountain in Phoenix Arizona very cool fountain and big is a understatement

[@rusty1187]

Interestingly, Major Powell lobbied against building dams and restricting the river. "Down the Colorado" is his exploration story from Wyoming through the grand canyon. Nobody thought he would make it. Second only to Lewis and Clark in explorer narratives.

[@corpsefather7914]

SOP be damned!! Famous last words: from EVERY operations manager ever

[@frphxkaboom3008]

I was there in 83 and 87 we house boated right up to the floating docks for Rainbow bridge. The lake is so low, I don't suppose you can do that now. they also ran ferries from (Wahweap) ? marina. The lake is vast. We had no idea that the lake was so full that the spillways were damaged. Pricey but money well spent. I was the captain , I got to dock this thing. easy enough once you get the hang of it..

[@simonamos5426]

I read an article that they weren't concerned so much of the dam breaking but the spillway tunnels would fail,draining the lake. Overwhelming dams downstream.

[@JamesMcGillis]

A breach or failure of Glenn Canyon Dam or its emergency spillway tunnels would create a massive flood on the Lower Colorado River. Habitat and infrastructure would be devastated. Because Lake Mead is also only about 35% full, it could accept all the water from Lake Powell without fear of overtopping. In a flood,, Marinas and other infrastructure in Lake Mead could be dislodged or destroyed. The best bet is to slowly decommission Glenn Canyon Dam over several years, allowing an orderly flow of water into Lake Mead's safer, stronger bedrock basin and the dam's Anchorage into solid granite.

[@camperbum]

All the flooding here the Mid West, you think the someone could come up with a way to pump water, like oil across our country and fill these places up...

[@millertime6sixty]

Glad to see you kept you rc's man! I'll be following your videos. I'm glad you are following your dreams. If you end up in post falls again hit me up. We will have to get the crawlers out.

[@ExploreWithThor]

For sure! I have gotten my crawlers out a couple of times, but I have been so busy with other things lately. Their time is coming.

[@Mr91495osh]

Well done and very informative. Thank you.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Glad it was helpful. More content like that is in the plans

[@charliehorsenm3446]

"I plan on enjoying everything the lake has to offer". I LOVE that attitude. There's way too little of it in America today. The fashionable thing to do is to fret about it and feel guilty about it as though that could improve anything. First of all fretting never accomplished anything, and it is ridiculous to feel "guilty" for something over which you have and never have had any control. I'm from Colorado, and I remember several years ago when Lake Dillon, a man made lake near Dillon and Frisco, went virtually totally dry. People were actually going down into the lake bed to visit the remains of an old ghost town that had been flooded by the lake for decades. A few years later though the lake was nearly full to maximum capacity again.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Anything is possible, I think for me it is more about finding out what is around the next corner. Even if Lake Powell goes away, there's plenty of water in the sea... & plenty of places to enjoy.

[@skiingfast1]

And now about a year later the situation looks even more dire.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Actually... Looks better. The upper basin is getting slammed with lots of snowpack still. This could mean the end of the drought, but only time will tell.

[@mitchfryer8860]

Love the content, Thor!

[@ExploreWithThor]

Thanks!

[@rusty1187]

I was there in the early 1970's, when it was full. I later heard it took almost 30 years to fill?

[@faerieSAALE]

I ENJOY MORNING COFFEE, A BAGEL, OR A MUFFIN WHILE SITTING ON THE BEACH OF LAKE MICHIGAN WHERE THE VIEW IS NOTHING BUT WIDE OPEN WATER IN EVERY DIRECTION. OUR LAKE IS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND ERODING THE SHORELINE. MY HOUSE IS .05 MILE FROM THE LAKE. ONLY TREE LINES BLOCK THE VIEW OF IT.

[@kwgm8578]

I hope you mean 0.5 mile and not 0.05 mile, but even at 250 ft. you have some breathing room. Maybe it's time to build a 20 ft. berm between your home and the water. Get your neighborhood in on it too and contain your little piece of the lake?

[@ExploreWithThor]

Send some of that water to Lake Powell!

[@roblangsdorf8758]

The story that I have always heard about the boards at the top of the dam was that the spillway blew out in a very brief period of time. So they had run to find enough boards to hold the water back until they could send enough of it through the electricity generation system to lower the lake. The damage done to the spillway showed that the Grand Canyon could have been carved in a much shorter time than most geologists acknowledge.

[@ExploreWithThor]

That is pretty interesting. The Colorado is powerful. I have spoken to people who remember it before it was tamed, & they can recall the ground shaking because the Colorado was pushing huge boulders around. That would be amazing to experience. I have been in a river when a boulder fell underneath the water. Was really... Weird. Huge wave out of nowhere.

[@harleyhawk7959]

another note, st Helens blew in 1980. the sides that were left, has caused the ideal shadow. during the snow periods those shadows have built up a substantial glacier inside the volcano. all the scientists and climate theorists had to rethink about the millions of years it took for the ice age. giant glacier inside mt st Helens only took several years 😋🤯

[@scenicdriveways6708]

You really have to be careful when you RV at Lone Rock Beach. We almost got our truck & trailer stuck there.

[@Moondoggy1941]

We were there back in 83.

[@dennishough3709]

Started my first career job in 83’

[@reggielabrum567]

It’s incredible how low everything is especially up at Hite the Northern end of the lake it’s only the Colorado river flowing and esclante arm of the lake you could use boat straight up and jump off 50 ft under Davis Arch also now you have hike about a mile up to Rainbow Bridge family used to go and had a houseboat at Halls Crossing spend time scuba diving main channel near iceberg canyon and slick rock canyon Jeep the Hole in the rock trail can hardly recognize Bullfrog Area

[@ExploreWithThor]

That is a great story. I recently got around to antelope, "on a land vehicle." Some places on the lake are amazing do to the low water... Others... Are a mere remnant of what they used to be.

[@jamiereid40]

Look in to the history of the worlds largest ocean under the south west of USA

[@artifacthunter1472]

Water pockets under the ground are not oceans!!

[@LardGreystoke]

@@artifacthunter1472 Clouds are oceans in the sky.

[@TacticalTony702]

Cool vid

[@ExploreWithThor]

Thanks

[@narzvog8470]

If you are wanting to show people how bad its gotten go to the chains before the dam or down to the coves inside the park.

[@DaveFiggley]

The spillway tunnels failed catastrophically in 1983 due a process called 'cavitation' whereby a small imperfection (as little as 6mm - a quarter inch in your money) in the concrete lining of the tunnels set a ripple effect in motion whereby air trapped in the massive flow of water tugged at the lining. With these maximum flows through the tunnels that first tiny "pip" created a small divot. Thirty feet further down the tunnel a small hole was appearing. Several hundred feet along and the water was ripping everything to shreds including the very rock that the tunnels were drilled through. So they back-filled the massive, gaping, chasms in those tunnels with more concrete and relined them with yet more concrete but this time they incorporated an annular ring in the profile which aerates the flow of water and prevents all that cavitation nonsense. *Bond Villian voice* 3553 and counting ...

[@Moondoggy1941]

1:28 We were coming back from Paige back in the late 70 early 80's and a car drove that point, crashed through the fence much less of safety fencing back then, the rear axle got caught up wire from the fence and the car was dangling nearly straight down, the people in the car did not move or say a word, TERRIFIED. The tow truck driver but a hook on that rear bumper and pulled them up. That is what the air force calls a bucker factor.

[@ExploreWithThor]

I bet lol. I would not want to drive off that cliff nowadays... or ever!

[@Moondoggy1941]

@@ExploreWithThor It is a one-way ticket, that is for sure.

[@hinspect]

Maybe you should read Edward Abbey books. I don't think that "Damn" is going anywhere. Why are you called Thor? I gave you thumbs up!

[@ExploreWithThor]

I doubt it will go anywhere either. My nick name is Thor. I got it from two different jobs I worked at. So I ran with it. Best to accept a good nick name, vrs a bad one

[@terebrate]

the backing music is too loud, unnecessarily distracting. Otherwise, great video thanks.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Noted! I have changed how I do my audio in all of my newer videos to fix that, & your feedback is appreciated.

[@terebrate]

@@ExploreWithThor thanks, Thor. I'm sure it's probably not an issue for some (most?) viewers, but this is my own reaction. I pay attention to the audio quality and volume levels, and sometimes I leave feedback, hopefully constructively. You have a new subscriber now at least!

[@dethray1000]

we first went to Powell in the middle 70ties--been there close to a 500 times over the years--kids learn to water ski there,many enjoyable times with friends,family--the truth is the Colorado River has slowed to trickle in years past and will do it again-humans are only here for a short time--we are not that important,get over yourself --nature does what ever it feels like,including no rain for years--the sierras in cali have gone thru droughts that lasted up to 75 years where all the lakes in the sierras dried up completely way before humans were any impact on weather--we are in a solar minimum so good luck--we are nothing more than flies on a horses ass and the next nuke war will prove it...

[@ExploreWithThor]

While I understand your point about the Colorado river that is a pretty pessimistic view of humanity. Yikes lol. I always remind people who have the view that nature is somehow the most powerful thing in the universe & humanity is nothing by comparison, that humanity is a product of nature, & that what we do is natural. In my opinion, humanity is natures ultimate achievement. But that's just my opinion. I hope the best of luck to you as well! Let us enjoy what we have, while we have it.

[@Cosmicsurfpro]

EXACTLY!

[@traxiii]

Thanks for that. Turns out they over estimated the yearly flow into the Upper Colorado River Basin when they divvied up the water to the original 5 states and Mexico in the agreement signed. They split up an extra 2 million acre feet per year than actually flow through Glen Canyon. Then years later they added New Mexico's 1.5 million on top of that. They had done the deal at an unusually high flow period in the river's history, and some of the states (Arizona and Nevada) didn't start using their entire allotted share for a while either. That "wonderful" agreement doled out an average of 3.5 million acre feet more per year than actually flow into Lake Powell. It has nothing to do with any climate issues, just bad math and overly optimistic or fraudulent flow estimates. Sounds to me like the water agreement needs to be re-tuned, and allocations reduced to below the average total flow before Powell and Mead will ever start filling again, that or a large number of unusually wet years in a row.

[@skiingfast1]

It does have to do with climate too, absolutely.

[@snow_clan]

There are some real serious talks about just draining Lake Powell.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Be a real shame if they did. People of page would not be able to make bread money.

[@ExploreWithThor]

@LunKerZ inc. Vegas would have to build a nuclear plant to supplement their electricity needs lol.

[@dethray1000]

never happen--it is a resource that cannot be replaced---all the tree huggers have wet dreams about draining it,idiots,fools

[@majorpayne8373]

A great idea. Let's make it happen. The river was far more life giving and interesting than the current stagnant lagoon.

[@kbarrett63]

Simple contradictory goals: maxFlooding Control>>maintain as low as possible max Generation::maintain as high as possible....trying to achieve both is IMPOSSIBLE !!

[@ExploreWithThor]

Sounds about right.

[@atleydohmen9173]

If there’s any lumber it would be almost half a trillion lol

[@ExploreWithThor]

lumber in this place is up 200% First time I can remember that it is cheaper to build with steel then wood. A 2X4 is almost $12 right now... & that is for a warped one with holes & knots.

[@oneofmany1087]

looks like the party is over for the west coast...

[@johnfarina6155]

I climbed up to an ancient kiva in Echo Canyon and mixed my blood with that of the Anasazi. I think they were Italian Indians.

[@ExploreWithThor]

You might want to get checked...

[@louismillevolte8020]

Hard to know, but they were eating a lot of pasta.

[@ExploreWithThor]

@@louismillevolte8020 Too funny lol

[@tonyforrester5072]

Howdy from Page

[@ExploreWithThor]

Hey howdy hey!

[@tonyforrester5072]

@@ExploreWithThor moved here in December from NM, all new to me

[@ExploreWithThor]

@@tonyforrester5072 Nice! I hope you are enjoying everything! If you see me on the lake, feel free to stop by & say hello

[@andrewvillanueva4222]

The glen canyon reservoir will never fill.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Impossible to say. It was not long ago it was full.

[@cerberus1364]

Egypt was a fertile land just like California 2000 years ago but water Don't Rain there no more so what's Egypt look like now y'all it's a damn desert that's what welcome to the new American West Desert

[@rouser301]

I hate self serving selfie laden vids and always give them a thumbs down, so i'm glad you narrated instead. Edit out the opening and it'd be perfect.

[@ExploreWithThor]

I appreciate the compliment. Sometimes I do a little of both, It really depends on the context of what I am recording.

[@jcmarineservicesofswfl5606]

Says the guy posed in his best gym selfie pic ....🙄

[@keithkuckler2551]

This is going to get worse, before any improvement. Global warming has made the drought even worse, by increasing the evaporation of the lake. The southwest has a long history of droughts, we know from tree rings dating of beams in the ruins of the Anazazi people that these droughts last hundreds of years. I live a half mile up the hill from a lake that has 10% of all the freshwater on the planet, Superior goes up and down as well, the worlds largest lake by area, can change with droughts, but, our midwest ones only last a season at a time, not hundreds of years. Many of the people who left the midwest because of the cold winters will have to return for the water we have.

[@MrJeep75]

This dam needs to go

[@ExploreWithThor]

You obviously do not live here, or you would never say that.

[@itsruf1]

obthervation: Is there a version of this without lisping? And blather? edit: Even his name is lisp.

[@ExploreWithThor]

Sure their is. It's called the mute button, or for those who can't figure that function out, their is the option to turn down the volume. A bit more effort, but worth it. BTW, "Read that in my lispy voice." ;-) Now the mute button does not work. Im in your head now! Mwaaaa Hwaaa HAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA GWAAAAAA. "Laughed in a lispy voice... somehow."

[@ExploreWithThor]

Oh, & what your actual problem is, is the fact that I do not own a good microphone, so the voice gets a tad distorted.

[@itsruf1]

@@ExploreWithThor Umm . . OMG Don't get thore. Newsflash in ILL., cheap microphones don't produce a tongue mith-plathment thound. Altho we just don't make sthupid videos. As far as blather you avoided it tho . . .

[@ExploreWithThor]

@@itsruf1 Hey, I spent $400 on a camera that would take out the shakes. Not record my voice perfectly. I noticed you did not complain about that. Ima chalk this one up as a win for me.

[@razony]

Seriously. Empty Lake Powell into Meade. At this time we don't need Powell to be the recreational area. The water is too vital to the rest of the Western states. It's still a recreational area, but even better when the water drops and the exploring begins! Create tours to explore the new/old canyons, There's still water, just not as much.

[@ExploreWithThor]

It just doesn't work that way. Theirs tens of thousands of square miles of desert people can explore. Thiers only 200 miles of lake. Their is also a billion dollar boating community in lake Powell, & a city to support. Ultimately tho at this point in time all draining lake Powell would achieve is devastating the local economy & feed lake Meade for one year at most. Then Lake Mead would be in the same situation it is in now. The water is gone, it is what it is. This situation should have been managed years ago. Now it is too little, too late.

[@450kman]

How many dams can we put on the Colorado river before it no longer flows into the ocean? Oops ... too late, it no longer does.

[@ExploreWithThor]

It is not the dams that halted the flow to the ocean. It is the fact that California irrigates with it, & all the states drain it. Originally the plan was to dam up every inch of the Colorado up to Lake Powell, & create one of the worlds most productive clean power systems ever devised. But environmentalist got involved so now we burn a lot more coal & oil then we would have if we had built the dams.

[@450kman]

@@ExploreWithThor Pretty much agree, but the dams make a lot of the siphoning of the Colorado river possible. And as we can see with the low lake levels, there simply is not enough water to generate the power we consume plus satisfy California's thirst. Both demands will grow.

[@ExploreWithThor]

@@450kman Actually... Turns out their is a clause in our agreement with California. I am not 100% sure on the details yet, but apparently there was something in the legalwork regarding the draining of Lake Powell, Turns out it is not so simple as pulling the plug on the dam... Apparently the lake can only go so low before the dam can regulate the amount of water going out, to the same amount coming in. I could be wrong, but I believe the document stated something about the percentage of the reservoir, & we are super close. I think the lake can legally only drop another 15 or so feet.

[@450kman]

@@ExploreWithThor There have been several reports on that agreement/treaty/court decisions between seven states and Mexico, and how it affects what is done with the water from the Colorado River, not just the water contained behind the larger dams, but the watershed as a whole. With fifteen dams on the Colorado and hundreds on its tributaries, it IS one of the most heavily developed watersheds in the world. As we can see, not every inch of the Colorado has been dammed, but damn near it, so go ahead and build those coal/oil/gas fired plants! Now, don't go off half cocked saying I'm anti-green because I believe coal and gas do play a part in our electrical system's base load capabilities, but we can only exploit a natural resource so far before it is depleted, and as an avid outdoor enthusiast, it saddens my heart to see this once mighty river is nothing more than, in many places, a dried-up river bottom. Talk about putting things into perspective! Ths USGS states that, as a whole, ~63% of that water is used for hydroelectric generation with ~37% for irrigation and other purposes. I feel most will agree that It is doubtful either demand will decrease in the near or distant future. We have completely avoided the subject of 'wild' floods and siltation of both the lakes and river bottom, and the affect it has on the ecosystem. Add to this California's long and dismal history concerning water and the overall scarcity of water in the West. (search the net for all the rivers that have been diverted or are now completely gone) Even if next year were to hold record snow and rainfall, it would only serve to delay the inevitable. Knowing mankind's history regarding natural resources, what do you predict for the future of the Colorado?

[@ExploreWithThor]

@@450kman Well, to start out, I never said you were anti green. I simply implied that hydroelectric plants are better for the environment then mining for, transporting, & burning fuel. As for the colorado river. I don't predict anything. I do not know what will happen. I have no predictions. If history has proven anything it is that no one can predict the colorado river, or what it will do. The majority of the water is used for hydroelectric dams. But that is not its end point, the same water that goes through a hydro plant can still be used to fill a swimming pool, or for irrigation. As for demand for the water... Well... that is an interesting subject. Do to the inevitable water shortages it is likely that farming will have to change. & find its water somewhere else. For the first time since I can remember California finally built a desalination plant, which will harvest water, & salt. As for power demands, it is very hard to say. Electrical devices are becoming more efficient than ever before, but if electric cars take off, I would think it is very likely power demands will go up. But a hydro dam can only make so much power. The more of them that are in place, the more power can be generated. As for the colorado & its development, I do not feel to bad about that. But I do understand why that bothers some people. I know for certain tho, that significantly more people are enjoying it as a developed river, vrs undeveloped. Their are a lot of undeveloped rivers, & large portions of the colorado that are not developed, but by comparison of the developed places almost no one visits or enjoys them. To note, I said by comparison. I do know some people go to the non developed ones & have a good time. Overall tho, if I was to predict what is going to happen to lake powell... It is here to stay, & will always be here to stay. This I am fine with.