What a drought has uncovered about Lake Powell

Environmentalists have long cursed the day Glen Canyon was dammed and the Lake Powell reservoir was formed by flooding the landscape behind it. Thanks to alarmingly low water levels and a two-decade-long drought, that landscape now seems to be returning to its natural state not seen for more than half a century. Ben Tracy reports.
#News #ClimateChange #LakePowell
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[@CBSMornings]

Click here for more climate news: kzbin.info/aero/PLJzm9BhU_wL-O5pwJUgwkl68C0ORUriDH

[@dalethrockmorton2555]

Come on let's get real reclamation f***** up they should have kept their lakes full and told them green lawn lovers and almond tree growers and everybody in California save water for a dry day reclamation says no if we have it we sell it money money money get rid of lake Powell you've lost your mind come on reclamation it's all about money right

[@kobyhubbs6105]

This isn’t the Federal Deficit. You can’t just print more water. Turn down the flow. This reservoir is more important now than ever.

[@thisguy1920]

The climate is always changing. 🙄

[@sammerjay8128]

Always gotta say “climate change”. Boogedy Boogedy

[@joeblow1942]

More lies by CBS. That is a freaking desert and most of California is desert to semi-desert. It hardly ever rains in deserts which is why we call them deserts and semi-deserts! You want to deal with water in California then build more dams so we can capture the water during the times we do get rain. Last December it rained for two weeks solid in Southern California and what did the ruling psychopaths in Sacramento do to capture that rain? NOTHING. And why? Because it's all about controlling every aspect of our lives.

[@raystanczak4277]

It’s not “crazy” how far the water has dropped-it was predicted. What’s crazy is how we’ve allowed it to happen.

[@mia1shooter]

You're and idiot just saying dumb bullsh*t to score likes, how would you stop nature from taking its course, dumb@ss.

[@ActrightYT]

Just like Chile did

[@uselesscommenters2707]

But how?

[@ActrightYT]

PEOPLE WITH LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY

[@williamparks867]

@@uselesscommenters2707 the government has been intentionally draining resivoirs to create a water shortage under the guise of environmentalism.

[@zenofthemoment]

"Water, water, water....There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount , a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation. There is no lack of water here, unless you try to establish a city where no city should be." -Edward Abbey

[@stevenboldt6489]

Cities, or making use of fertile ancient river beds in the desert for agriculture? We abused the Colorado River.

[@jimijefferson82]

@@stevenboldt6489 I love all the human guilt, flowing faster than the mighty Red River. The desert will be fine the river will be fine, we may be F'd but then we will adapt and overcome that is what we do.

[@isartoraplatz]

Hahahahaha And they’ve establish a whole lot of cities that shouldn’t be 👈🏼 and they’ve unearth things that shouldn’t have been moved.. For gold and silver..👁 A lot of skyscrapers a lot of building of subdivisions For profit even on ancient burial grounds..they Unleash a deadly curse..👁🙈

[@julianshepherd2038]

Or the Climate Changes !

[@julianshepherd2038]

@@jimijefferson82 it's not guilt you feel if you sh't your bed

[@spacelemur7955]

"We're going to have to start thinking about how we use water." - 2022 🤦 We were trying to raise this issue in 1982 when I was a grad student in Geography, and it wasn't new then. Most people won't listen to experts and prefer wishful thinking instead.

[@cherylsmith4826]

So frustrating- this isn't a surprise folks

[@zerotodona1495]

Just saying… desalination plants.

[@spacelemur7955]

@@zerotodona1495 Also just saying: It's frightfully energy-intensive expensive to desalinate, and then the water needs to pumped a thousand miles _uphill._ If fossil fuel is used for both tasks or either, it potentiates the problem.

[@markdsm-5157]

especially since they admit it's a mega drought that has been going on for 20 years. Just insane.

[@airpros9927]

People are just idiots. Not much more to say

[@AceIsInLastPlace]

The two perspectives in this video describe my internal conflict over this change. I spent a great deal of my time growing up at lake powell with our family on the boat. It is my favorite place in the world and to think I may never be able to bring my own kids is heart breaking. On the other side, I share the same sentiments with the second interviewee. While my heart is filled with so much grief I cant help but to be in awe of the beauty of glen canyon being resurrected.

[@sammerjay8128]

It’s a man made lake. They tried to manipulate nature. Nature took it back. Don’t be so sad.

[@Gellybeanb1974]

I'm sorry your losing your favorite place in this world*

[@Powderlover1]

I’m more concerned about people running out of water, but it is pretty.

[@Powderlover1]

@@Gellybeanb1974 with very few exceptions, this is the only world humans know.

[@jameslawrence3666]

and the increased use of fossil fuels to replace the hydro power??.... nah - not clever!!

[@HHIVR4]

I like how they try to blame "drought" and "climate change" not "People" or the fact they are in a DESERT.

[@yakbreeder]

It's caused by humans alright, it's just not CO2 or warming like they want us to believe. They drain it faster than nature can replenish it, and blame SUV's.

[@potblack6043]

It's a joint effort.

[@alexburke1899]

It has been the hottest decades in recorded history. The jet stream is way more wavy due to less temperature difference between poles and equator so we are seeing droughts and storms push further south and stay longer following the jet stream. It doesn’t matter if it’s human caused or natural at this point, we have already been exiting a ice age for thousands of years and the changes to permafrost and jet stream are obvious. Check out all the methane explosions happening in Russia from the permafrost melting or some videos on the jet stream and droughts here on KZbin.

[@danstrayer111]

as with all complex problems, there is no one single cause

[@vJackaRoo]

@@alexburke1899 oh stop. It's an outright desert, they have the same amount of water as they've had for decades. But there's 100x as many people using the water. Wake up.

[@andrewmedanich2844]

But the desert southwest still insists on having green lawns, huge palms that require a ton of water, the bottling plants, farms, and golf courses that also use water that should be used for consumption and power not for frivolous or downright stupid uses in a freaking desert.

[@diptonsauce1985]

usually, they just have pink/reddish gravel. even a lot of soCal has been switching to that

[@mikearmstrong8483]

Obviously a comment from someone who doesn't live anywhere near California and doesn't know how to learn simple facts. Almost 90% of the state's water is used for agricultural purposes feeding much of this country, not golf courses and palm trees.

[@jc4evur661]

@@mikearmstrong8483 Especially all the huge farmlands around the Salton Sea...probably the most inhospitable place to put a farm in the nation.

[@scoremxcom]

... over population - "Have as many kids as god gives you" - The Pope

[@kittimcconnell2633]

And no one willingly changes their behaviour until the problem becomes overwhelming and desperate. I dread those days.

[@keithcutler6602]

I remember how disappointed and angry my parents were back in the 60s as Lake Powell was filling up. They made sure and took me to as many scenic spots as they could before the lake covered them all up. Two things I remember: One was a ferry crossing for cars across what was then just the Colorado River. It was one of those old wooden platforms that was pulled across the river by cables and pulleys. They specifically took that route so I could experience that crossing before the whole area was flooded by the rising lake. The other memory I have is that we took a guide boat out to Rainbow Bridge. Back then the boat had to dock quit a distance away from the bridge and we had to walk quit a distance to get there. Everyone was so worried that as the lake rose eventually it would fill up the stream under the bridge and perhaps make the ground unstable so that the bridge might actually collapse and be ruined. Obviously it hasn't and I'm so glad it's a beautiful place to visit. Personally, I'm glad the lake is shrinking, what was there before was and will be so much more beautiful and quiet than the lake with all the speedboats, waterskiers, and jetskis. I'm so thankful to my parents for taking the time and making the effort to take me to so many places and give me such amazing experiences and memories of the wonderful, beautiful western US. Thanks Mom & Dad, I love you so much! RiP

[@michaelplanchunas3693]

You water 'experts' are forgetting one very important thing. The Colorado River has never depended on rainfall in the Southwest. It needs snowmelt from the Wyoming and Colorado snowpacks for its volume. It draws water from about a dozen subsidiary rivers in 7 states. Lack of rainfall doesn't affect it as much as lack of snowpack in the Colorado mountains.

[@fitleighhill]

💯💯💯

[@johnlux6635]

Real water experts know that. Thank you for educating the rest.

[@weary1]

Edward Abbey was 60 years ahead of his time. He fought tooth and nail against the building of the dam, predicting that it would be only a quarter full by now. I’d say he was just about spot on.

[@eVill420]

that doesn't change how much it contributed to California's well-being so I'd say it was a good freaking investment, if it wasn't there California would have run out of water last year for sure.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

Yep. Amazing how reality is such a convenient surprise to so many, isn't it?

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

@@eVill420 This is one of the reasons I left California.

[@BIGLOVE4TRUTH]

Abby was a radical leftist who wanted to blow up Glen Canyon dam With his monkey wrench gang.

[@weary1]

@@BIGLOVE4TRUTH I agree-he was a brilliant man with an eye to the future and protecting the only Earth we have. Thanks for the kind comment.

[@HighwayLand]

it's not just climate change, it's also the growing population along with the endless amount of housing and all the new communities that go with it. Arizona had a population of 1.3 million in 1960, now it's at 7.4 million. Everybody needs water and everybody needs electricity, and no doubt something bad is going to come out of all of this.

[@jgaffney567]

And business like data centers and farms that require lots of water

[@richardrobeson5784]

and water has been being used and contaminated per all the unconventional drilling practices that became allowed not all that long ago, but nothing gets mentioned concerning that

[@TN-wo1yy]

But that explanation doesn't fit there agenda.

[@jimijefferson82]

It was a desert in 1360 and 1960 and will be in 2060.

[@mrtee3477]

Yeap, too many people not enough water to go around. rio grande stop flowing before it reach las causes NM because of irrigation. I'm surprised Mexican doesn't complains about Americans taking all the water from Colorado river.

[@nopenopenope123]

I had a seizure in Lake Powell at 10 yrs old, in 1992... would have died had my cousin not dove down and pulled me up. Earlier in that same trip I remember taking a small boat off the house boat to adventure around. We found this little cove area, and went in on foot... tons of tiny colorful frogs jumping around... it was truly magical. Even tho I almost died here, I hold it so dear and close to my heart. 💙💚💜

[@stephenscott6570]

Let’s not forget that around 750-1,000 years ago (if memory serves me) the native American cliff dwellers (Mesa Verde? Bandalier?) departed after 25-30 years of drought.

[@dvoob]

Populations in southwest cities like Vegas & Phoenix have increased by 250-400% since 1990. The drought severity index in the southwest has hovered between +3 and -4 over the past 30 years. The last 3 years being the worst of this period, but the water in lake Powell has been steadily decreasing. This is the result of the Phoenix metro area having over 200 golf courses, and hundreds of people moving there every day. The drought isn't helping, but water usage is the real issue in the southwest.

[@richardprofit6363]

Of course you're right..and saying what many do their best to avoid thinking about..I loved the Apache Trail/ Lost Dutchman area when I lived in Mesa for a year and a half, and have thought about moving back , but now thinking I better wait a while..would love to leave Florida (which I also loved growing up in the 70's) because it's been wrecked by overdevelopment , too..

[@sammerjay8128]

There is no drought in an arid desert environment. This is a man made lake. Manipulation of nature. Nature returning it to what it is supposed to be.

[@00mazone]

Water usage is the issue but it's not really the population of Arizonan and Vegas. Its mostly used for crops being grown in the deserts of the southwest. Golf courses in the desert is also a bad idea though.

[@dvoob]

@@00mazone Crops are only grown in the southwest because the huge populations & food demands has offset the disadvantage of increased water cost and made it profitable.

[@00mazone]

@@dvoob Perhaps but that would be due to high population of the entire country not just the south west. Plus the amount of food this country throws away without being bought is atrocious. But yes an over populated over consuming world population is causing a lot of problems.

[@dwreckbaker6382]

How about the fact that multimillion dollar homes in Vegas using millions of gallons of water each year keeping up the landscaping didn't help either, but the media won't cover this.....

[@lewisdoherty7621]

I looked at Las Vegas on Google satellite and there's no water problem. There are these giant water fountains and pools for them which have a huge amount of evaporation surface area.

[@Danny451]

Well I live in one of those multimillion homes and I need to water my extensive beautiful lawn so I can impress guests and the neighbors. I also have a large almond farm which consumes a lot of water. People just love almonds. I wish other people would cut back on their water consumption and conserve. Well, I'm off to play golf at my beautiful golf course now. 🏌️⛳. After golf, I have to wash my exotic car collection.

[@SterlingRMorris]

It's everyone's responsibility to conserve water from the Colorado River basin, not just those in Las Vegas. Nevada uses 2% of the Colorado River apportionment, Utah is at 11%, Colorado at 23%, and California at 27%. Wyoming is 6%, New Mexico is 5%, Mexico is 9% and Arizona is 17%. You are literally pointing fingers at the most insignificant water user of the entire basin. What's more, among water usage by state, approximately 70% of it goes to agriculture use, 23% to industry, and just 7% to municipal use. If you want to have the greatest impact on reducing need, think about scaling back California, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah's agricultural use of it by incentivizing arid-appropriate crop growth in place of crops like alpha alpha and almonds, and find ways to encourage industries including your own employer to use less water.

[@bobsmith6544]

BECAUSE IT'S NOT TRUE IDIOT!

[@casecold1864]

In a place with 400 sunny days per year without solar xD

[@rjay7019]

Sad😢 I have such special memories of Powell. I knew a lady who hiked those canyon's in the 50's. She was a photographer and poet and had some beautiful framed pictures. I remember asking her about them and when she told me it was Cathedral Canyon under Lake Powell I was amazed.

[@thatlindgirlinutah5829]

It's difficult to watch the view of the area of Lone Rock completely dry around it. I spent so many summers at Lone Rock Beach, never imagining that it would one day be so dry that I could walk up to it instead of boating up to it. People should've started conserving water a couple decades ago when the level began dropping. I understand the push to drain the lake, and I've seen just a few of the thousands of artifacts the University of Utah was able to rescue as the lake began to fill in the 60's, but it hurts to see it that low. This was always mine and my dad's special vacation spot. I'm kinda glad he didn't live long enough to see it like this. I think he'd be just as heartbroken as I am to watch it disappearing so fast. That being said, I do think it's a wonderful thing that so many native and also unique geological formations are now being seen after being underwater for many decades.

[@bobsmith6544]

The only thing exposed here at Mead so far are sunken boats and dead bodies. Oh, and I think a tiny settlement that was drowned.

[@rjay7019]

💔💔💔💔 😢😢😢😢 I'm glad I can't see it 💔 we used to camp there too. So much fun 👍 such great memories with my dad ❤️ last time I came through Page I was going to stop in 2015 when I came over the damn I couldn't believe my eyes 💔 so I didn't. Just drove on by😢

[@thatlindgirlinutah5829]

@@rjay7019 Oh, I'm so sorry you had to see it like that. But I am so glad you have wonderful memories from camping there. I was going to stop in 2013 and I had some of my dad's ashes. I was going to sit out on the beach with him and chat about all my memories of him and I laughing while camping on the beach and boating all over the lake. But when I came around the bend from Big Water the entire lake was shrouded in clouds and fog. I couldn't even see Lone Rock or Castle Rock. I think my dad knew I wasn't prepared to see the lake like that. As I drove down alternate 89 (the drop off was closed due to a rockslide so we had to detour) at MM 32, my dad's lucky number, I looked in the mirror and the entire lake was clear with the beautiful sun shining on it. Out of nowhere the song "Carry On" by Fun suddenly started playing on my car stereo. Dad was telling me to look forward, but cherish my memories. Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on. Memories tend to do that to me a lot. 😕😢

[@rjay7019]

@@thatlindgirlinutah5829 I totally understand that, I miss my Dad and think of him every day. And yes I cherish those memories of fishing and boating with him. Peace Be With You and just keep looking forward. I know it's hard as I struggle with it every day. My family is dwindling my dad was the last one to go, he had 11 brothers and sisters and mom had 12 and all have passed. So memories are what I'm left with. Sorry just did the same thing as you 👍😉

[@MyNameIsNotEmail.ItsEmail]

The southwest is one of the sunniest places on earth. The fact that single family homes aren't required to produce a percentage of their own electricity through solar is squandering of a natural resource. If every home produced 20% of it's own power needs the power worries would be nearly eliminated if not fully.

[@mylesgray3470]

You have a point there, whoever Hydro is the greenest power we have. It’s a shame it may be going away. Solar panels have to be replaced every 25 years or so. The cost benefit is not great which is why we don’t have that manny large scale solar power plants. The tech is improving however and will improve faster the more we buy them.

[@MyNameIsNotEmail.ItsEmail]

@@mylesgray3470 hydro destroys ecosystems AND you need a reliable source of water. Which isn't available currently

[@spencerphilippinedream3706]

every year, 1000 watts worth of panels (about $600 worth) saves $120 (0.12 $/kwh x 5 hr/day x 200 days/yr). they pay for themselves in 5 years.

[@BellaDrips]

But the cost of the panels is the same as the most recent dermabrasion or liposuction. Get your priorities straight.

[@MyNameIsNotEmail.ItsEmail]

@@BellaDrips 😂

[@davidj8658]

Millions of people living in a desert was never a good idea. Las Vegas ! How does Las Vegas make sense in a desert ?

[@janach1305]

When I was a T.A. For freshman Geography in the 1980s, I would show my students a film about the Colorado River, which even then did not reach the sea. The main points I remember about the Glen Canyon Dan concerned the flooding of the natural beauties of the canyon, and the dam’s ineffectiveness at fulfilling the purpose for which it was built. The Glen Canyon Dam was a mistake in the first place.

[@praetorianstride5948]

I just read about someone complaining over repeatedly hearing “about this since the 80’s and look what has happened”.implying that it is insignificant.

[@praetorianstride5948]

Not that I agree with the orange man religious fascists, but that I observed the opposite of what you experienced firsthand, a few moments ago.

[@janach1305]

@@praetorianstride5948 I don’t get your point. Do you mean what I said was insignificant, or what the complainers said was insignificant? I was just providing information I have about the Glen Canyon Dam, and including my source so readers can judge the validity of my information or lack of it.

[@Dance98273]

I’m one of the pilots that flies tourist over Lake Powell daily. It’s still beautiful and the rocks/formations are amazing.

[@rcisneros8567]

Yeah, deserts can be beautiful. Not the point.

[@bmaiceman]

There is one big issue FINALLY comming to light.... Las Vegas shoukd never have been ALLOWED to grow as big as it did.... That was a huge mistake!!

[@michaelbandeko3519]

California too!! Mulholland was stealing water from everybody.

[@michaeljacques7336]

I think there are two important things to understand. One is that this isn’t about water supply, in the sense that this is not about having drinking water for people or irrigation for crops. It’s about having enough water in the lake to be profitably producing power so that the company that owns the dam is making money. The second thing is that Lake Powell is terrible as a reservoir and it always has been. The canyon that the Reservoir has filled is a very porous sandstone, in addition to that lake Powell is a very long lake with a lot of surface area which leaves it’s water baking in the desert sun and being lost to evaporation. The combination of these two things means that lake Powell loses as much water to evaporation and to water seeping into the canyon walls as it actually sends down stream. You read that right half of the water that flows into lake Powell is lost and never makes it downstream. Lake Meade on the other hand is a deep reservoir that has comparatively little surface area which means that it loses far less water than Powell. The Black Canyon that became the Lake Mead reservoir is also made out of a basalt rock that is almost impervious to water. Holding water back from Lake Mead to store in Powell is absolutely Idiotic if the goal is to actually save water. It’s like taking all of your money from a secure bank account and transferring it to one that looses 50% of your money every year. Glen Canyon was the last reservoir in the Colorado river project for a reason, that reason is that it’s not a very safe damn site and it’s not a very good place for a reservoir. Drain Powell and use Mead for Water storage, flood control and power production. That’s how the system worked for decades and it was far better than what we have today. The only reason we’re keeping Lake Powell is politics and the power company not wanting to lose their free money.

[@johnmcmillion876]

well said.

[@sunnyrays2281]

Interesting, thanks for sharing this.

[@Ixions]

They should drill wells in the massive aquifers around Lake Powell

[@slo-poke1044]

This is very important info.

[@michaeljacques7336]

@@Ixions The issue is that those layers of permeable sandstone go down for thousands of feet. So drilling the well and pumping the water back up would be insanely expensive. It may be a viable option for municipal water supply for communities in the area but it’s definitely not going to keep the river flowing. Also like I pointed out, the water issue in lake Powell is not really an issue of being able to provide water for people or agriculture. It’s an issue of having enough water height in the lake ( head pressure if your familiar with engineering) to be able to generate hydroelectric power economically. (Edit to add) I think the primary layer of non-permeable rock that would make up the floor of the aquifer would be the Vishnu Schist which in the Page area would likely be 5,000 feet down. so we are talking a well that would be a mile deep, Wells like that are extremely expensive to drill, but the biggest issue is the power consumption of having to pump water that far up.

[@arrowslingr4929]

Went there 4 years ago and it was a lot lower than I expected compared to when I went there 25 years ago but the biggest disappointment was the upstream canyons were full of pollution. Some of the hideaway canyons actually stunk bad and there was lots of trash everywhere....sad.

[@TheAnimeist]

So if the electricity production will be a problem, will this not be a problem also for mass electric vehicles? John Kerry just said we need to increase EVs multifold.

[@citizen3902]

The dwindling lake is once again, revealing the hallowed and protective canyons where my paternal ancestors hid from the U.S. Army during the mid 1860s. This particular genocidal campaign called for the Dine, the Navajo to be rounded up and forcibly removed from their ancestral homeland to be relocated to an abysmal concentration camp along the NM/Texas border. Many perished during the "Long Walk," and the four years of confinement at Fort Sumner ("Hweeldi," The place of suffering and fear) before they were allowed to return to a newly established reservation. Never heard of this atrocity? The US was focused on the Civil War so few were aware of it.

[@PhaseSkater]

everyones heard of the long walk. its literally the trail of tears of the west...

[@iceman421]

History will repeat itself again & the truth won’t be told again!

[@darwinbarrie751]

And Las Vegas hoses down the streets every night, fountains flow, golf courses flourish in the middle of the freaking desert.

[@mylesgray3470]

Yep. Doesn’t seem like there is much concern for water use in Vegas. Phoenix also. A lot of people get really mad at the suggestion that perhaps they should conserve by not having a lawn in the southwest but I think we can all make a difference. People figure is the golf course isn’t conserving, why should I?

[@PhaseSkater]

@@mylesgray3470 in phoenix everyone has rocky gravel lawns. never saw grass once unless it was a gold course or public park

[@mylesgray3470]

@@PhaseSkater I guess more specifically back yard lawns. Front lawns are not a thing in AZ. It appears about half to 40% of Phoenix houses have rear lawns and it’s more like 10% in Tucson. Salt Lake City where I live now has huge grass lawns front and rear and we would save a lot by adopting more AZ style landscaping.

[@bobsmith6544]

I love it when people who have no idea WTF they are talking about try to spew nonsense. Where TF did you hear Vegas hoses down streets and that golf courses don't conserve! Fountains and gold courses use reclaimed water!!

[@darwinbarrie751]

@@bobsmith6544 my my aren't we testy.

[@rjz9785]

I just worked here last summer! This is insane how quickly it all changed.

[@dominicconnor3437]

Dude it's never been normal to fish on a lake in a boat in the desert!!!! What did people think would happen?

[@coomessa4002]

My cousin's wife died by drowning during a flash flood while hiking Labyrinth Canyon just this past July. They tied up their pontoon, just like this reporter and guide. They hiked through that same passage. They weren't aware of the heavy rain that had just fallen 'upstream'. The resulting flash flood swept up the family of 5. Her 3 sons (triplets) and husband survived. When the reporter and guide were on foot looking up the canyon walls in that same passage, I couldn't help but think of what they must have experienced to be overwhelmed with water, no where to go, and the panic of knowing your whole family, your children are instantaneously in harm's way... 💔

[@hazztv6317]

So sorry for your loss. My condolences!

[@Blue2crows]

I’m sorry for your loss.

[@katharinesantana7147]

Sorry to hear, may they find peace and healing. 🙏🏻

[@nelsonhelmutt5076]

as i was watching this i remember a similar story of this exact spot. Golly Sorry for this Your tragic loss. it does look pretty scary in that tight spot.

[@jakeclayson7647]

That is so sad. I’m so sorry to hear about this tragic situation.

[@schmoab]

Lake Powell only exists to distribute water for the Colorado River Compact, which vastly over allocated the river water at the time in the 1960s. Now there’s about half as much coming down the Colorado. It seems almost impossible that Lake Mead could ever fill up again, even if Powell were drained. The Compact needs to be re-written to acknowledge our new reality.

[@JohnSmith-gb5vg]

What new reality? Kiss your cheap veggies, nuts and fruits goodbye?

[@billj5645]

In the big city area where I live there is high demand and increasing pressure on the local reservoirs. In years of low rainfall the lakes decline, but then we have years of good rainfall and the lakes fill back up. To counter the low years our cities built a billion dollar pipeline system to carry water from reservoirs farther away to the city. I think California and Nevada will have to step up and pay the price to transport water from farther away.

[@BAGOFROCKS]

@Stanky Piece of Bluecheese That's good, clean, CO2 free power, too.

[@williamlind32]

@Stanky Piece of Bluecheese Coal !!!

[@mikesmovingimages]

@@billj5645 Who is going to let them have water? There is no excess water anywhere in the west. And forget about getting it from the Missouri or Mississippi watersheds. You wouldn't want to pay the cost, and those states are already using it and aren't going to let it go, anyway.

[@sookie4195]

I moved to the 4-Corners area in 1999. People were already talking about the 10+ years drought. Pine trees were stressed by drought and the Pine Beetles were killing all of the forested areas. Forest fires were frequent. To say that the drought has been going on for 20 years is not true. More like 40 years. This is the worst drought in 1200 years. That is when the Anasazi left Mesa Verde.

[@kickinghorse2405]

Love that lawn and pool brother Young. Edit: "brother"

[@rodgantt3497]

This desert southwest was never capable or mean to hold millions of people with manicured lawns and swimming pools. Mother Nature is telling us loud and clear that it is past time to get our environmental house in order. Cities like Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are rapidly approaching a day of reckoning, they could be huge ghost towns in 20-30 years, maybe less. Of course this is an issue for the entire world, not just the American Southwest. For those of us who’ve been sounding this alarm for over 40 years, we take no pleasure in screaming “I told you so”!!!

[@michaelantico3151]

Most of us don't have swimming pools or grass in our yards. We totally understand the lack of water here. My house is 100% solar energy producing which helps out a bit. But I totally get the anger at those who try to build their dream communities with waterfalls and playground out here in Las Vegas. It's ridiculous. I see it all around me.

[@zerotodona1495]

Believe me I’m all for desert gardens… but I don’t own the house I’m bunking in.

[@bobsmith6544]

Rod you sound like Joe Biden just making up random crap. Take Phoenix, Tuscon and Vegas out of your rant.

[@rodgantt3497]

@@bobsmith6544, well Bob, did I hit a sensitive nerve? Get back to me in 2-3 years and we’ll talk about “made up” facts.

[@eugenebrooks4035]

its a damn desert did people not expect a drought . this has nothing to do with climate change its a desert never was ment to be damed up for people to live in . this is like people living in tornado ally and flood zones and then shocked when a tornado or flood happens. then they say its climate change .

[@MrA1582000]

Dam should have never been built. Destroyed incredible landscape. Green grass and golf courses are not worth the water rising again.

[@frostybytes6835]

If only there were people 10-15 years ago telling us about this climate change….

[@GeoffreyWare]

I visited lake Powell As a child Nearly 35 years ago now And it was full to the brim.

[@merlynscave]

So sad what humanity has done to the world

[@OneWildTurkey]

That's just your 'human guilt' talking.

[@OneWildTurkey]

@@Boobasweat 🤣

[@quicksilver-pk3nc]

@@OneWildTurkey what a witless comment.

[@mountainman4987]

This has more to do with populations of people moving out into desert areas by the millions and calling it a drought. Sure there may be less water due to a somewhat dry spell but you grow subdivisions with water like a crop.

[@nrf2009]

This is the first thing I thought of when I watched the video.

[@letsgobaby8501]

It’s the combo of the two. Droughts will happen, that’s nature. There are just too many people in the desert now. Too much agriculture. This land was never meant to provide for this amount of people and infrastructure.

[@sookie4195]

It’s hardly a dry spell.

[@mountainman4987]

@@sookie4195 It's always dry in the desert especially with millions of people using water.

[@nrf2009]

@@sookie4195 I guess you could call it a drought, but it is a desert so I'm not sure why anyone would expect there to be lots of water just sitting around...

[@ricgruber9185]

Its not about climate change , its about all the houses been built in nevada ,arizona, California

[@Cyborg1170]

I just moved to Arizona. My neighbor has some sort of water leak. It is flooding both our yards and the rest of the neighborhood. Basically wasting 1000s of gallons of water a day.

[@walterbright1396]

I boated on the waters of Lake Powell since 1982. Circumnavigating it first in a Coleman Scanoe with 5 hp outboard. Then in rented houseboats. Finally moving my boat to Big Water UT in the early 90s and camped all over the lake till 2002 when I repatriated my boat back to NJ as the lake began to really start to shrink. During that time I started reading about Glenn Canyon before the damn and realized that while I enjoyed the beautiful lake as I had found it, just how much natural beauty was sacrificed to creat it and started to wish I had known it before the dam. Well the next few years I may get closer to realizing my dream than I ever thought possible and intend to explore this wild area hopefully with the solitude that existed back before the dam existed.

[@travelguy1564]

I used to visit Powell in the 70's and 80's - after reading your note, Walter, I also want to go back and explore where there is no water now. Where can we get information on the topical layout of interesting places to see now that lake levels are drastically low? Thanks

[@BAGOFROCKS]

You certainly may find some solitude, but to hope for the type of solitude that existed back before the dam is wishful thinking. You indicate that you have been exploring the area since 1982, so you certainly must know about the increased pressure from human use. Not only has the southwestern U.S. quadrupled in population since those idyllic days, but also the Colorado Plateau region has become a very popular international destination. But I hear ya man, Oh to be able to explore that region in the days of Everett Ruess.

[@sammerjay8128]

Sacrificed? Or destroyed.

[@bobsmith6544]

@@sammerjay8128 It's still there and untouched due to being under water duh.

[@rjay7019]

I've seen pictures of it before the damn, it's amazing ❣️ I knew a lady who hiked those canyon's with her husband in the 50's. She photographed and framed pictures of it. I grew up in Utah, visited Powell and have many great memories of it. And I was amazed, if you've visited Zion or Bryce it was very similar.

[@MrA1582000]

The Hidden Canyon. A River Journey. By Edward Abbey. Read it and weep. Makes you understand why that young man in the video is happy about the return of the canyons. Don’t know if Hayduke lives, but Mother Nature does. Hope I live to walk in that canyon.

[@NOMADdaf]

Soooo...they are upset that it is going back to what it was in recent times and acting as if it is some kind of calamity??? The desert is going back to desert? What am I missing???

[@highpriestessearth]

Thank you for this video.

[@ronkirk5099]

Three years ago I did a two week boat camping trip on Lake Powell in a 13 foot rowing/sailing dingy. As I slowly made my way up the lake, I had a great time primitive camping and day hiking along the banks. I also met a guy in a big inflatable kayak with his mountain bike strapped on the deck who was doing a bike/paddle down part of the Colorado river. The slick rock country is one of our national treasures.

[@jeffjones6951]

In 1983 during geology field camp out of UTEP there was an environmentalist whose life goal was to blow up the Lake Powell dam and die in the explosion, restoring Glen Canyon. I hope he's around to see this restoration

[@wasatch0]

@@jeffjones6951 Hayduke Lives!

[@wasatch0]

@Kev Campbell Okay Bud. You ok? You need help?

[@jeffjones6951]

@@wasatch0 Kev took down his post. He was correct tho!

[@CptBlackbeardlives]

Natural climate change that should have been accounted for before adding millions of new water users to a finite supply of water. The last century was a rare wetter period for the area, decades and even century long droughts are the norm out there.

[@georgelux126]

You are half correct, they never had enough water for the number of people using it. Of course as everyone who isn't brainwashed knows, our current trend in warming is due largely to humanity.

[@beltrams]

^^This. Geologists have been saying this about precipitation in the mountain West for decades - even *before* global climate change. Then *with* climate change too.....oooh.

[@strata8383]

So the Ice caps are melting and a Lake is loosing water?

[@TheJohnFry]

Major cites unwisely built in the middle of the desert with tens of millions of people using the water. What do you expect to happen? Then 2 giant dams built to support the future growth of these cities, altering the natural flow of a great river and damaging it's ecology.

[@matthewarant377]

Glen canyon is great and all but lake Powell is one of my favorite parts of the US. The red messas combined with the water is just stunning.

[@Paineinyourblank]

I live out here by Lake Powell, Its incredible how fast the level went down. I live about 20 minutes north but am not affected because our small town uses well water. Its an almost daily conversation in town tho. Feels like only recently with Sen Kelly are things like solar power being discussed

[@mightymegasaurs7367]

You live in a desert, solar power makes a lot of sense. Your levels will drop more as the upper states take whats right for them, get used to it with that population

[@jepp0711]

@@mightymegasaurs7367 The area he is in, around Blanding, Utah isn't always great for solar power. There is a lot of snow in the winter, lots of dust, lots of random cloudy days. There could be other alternatives though such as geothermal, natural gas, etc... About 200 miles west of Lake Powell there is a massive wind and solar farm. Don't think it produces close to as much as the dam.

[@PhaseSkater]

@@jepp0711 blanding is nowhere near lake powell and blanding gets way more sun than the national average... if OREGON and SEATTLE can use solar, pretty freaking sure utah can too

[@jc4evur661]

I'll bet your well water levels are trending downward as well

[@athos1974]

Underground well water is not an unlimited supply. Eventually, without strict conservation, the wells will run dry.

[@DeadEyeDave]

Just start pumping water from flood-prone areas in the east. Build some pipelines along Interstate Highway routes. The technology is simple. The cost is minimal compared to most government projects. Provides water to places that need it. Removes excess water from places that would otherwise be flooded. Creates American jobs that can't be moved overseas. Everybody wins.

[@AdventureIQ]

Climate change? How about people watering lawns in the southwest - in areas that are not meant to support lush green lawns and landscape

[@TheMonkdad]

I feel bad for the people who live in areas who need the water and electricity but the exposed caves and rocks makes me want to visit.

[@fjfjfurjrnfncnnxxn]

Don’t feel bad, these areas need to be humbled a bit. They can only think of economic growth at all costs.

[@dwele7852]

@@fjfjfurjrnfncnnxxn even now Utah is still spending water on large lawns and excess golf courses. I can understand wanting to do recreation but 12 golf courses in a small town is ridiculous

[@TheMonkdad]

But that’s the wealthy. The poor and the young will suffer the most. They have a more difficult time relocating.

[@joeb134]

Why so you we can just destroy it? How long do you think before it's completely ruined with trash and filled with tourist shops?

[@MuszZico]

America

[@DLewis-pc2op]

Water. The gift of life!!!

[@wildbikerbill6530]

Which is precisely why Water Wars are so bitter.

[@debraderr6359]

So sad to see this happening throughout the great Southwest. Water levels dropping too much too fast. GOD help us!

[@cherylsmith4826]

Dropping too fast? How about over use & population GROWING too fast??

[@sookie4195]

God helps those who help themselves.

[@johnwmallow6856]

It’s NOT CLIMATE CHANGE ! It Is To Many People Building And Living In The Desert Environments , And The Water Usage For Lawns , And Golf Courses , And The Heat From New Highways , Roads , Buildings And Houses !

[@TamagoHead]

Gorge bottoms are narrow. It’s going to get worse. Might want to rethink the Lake Powell pipeline feeding lawns and golf courses and alfalfa grams in the middle of an arid region.

[@SterlingRMorris]

+1. Having lived in both Utah and Nevada, I can say that Utah has a lot to learn and improve about its water conservation efforts.

[@bobsmith6544]

Bro. New lawns are illegal and golf courses use reclaimed water in Vegas. Vegas also pays golf courses and homeowners to remove grass!!!

[@TamagoHead]

@@bobsmith6544 👍I’m really hoping for some good snowfall. Water levels in Lake Meade are so bad we might finally find Jimmy Hoffa or DB Cooper. 😁

[@silverdamsen2680]

I think we should also frame this in the context of what this drought means for the US and world in terms of drought and famine.

[@MyerShift7]

What, that we shouldn't have been dependent upon the DESERT being heavily and irresponsibly irrigated for food production?

[@missourivalleyarms4264]

in the immortal words of Sam Kinnison- It's a f*cking Desert! In 1000 years, it will still be a f*cking desert!!!!

[@TN-wo1yy]

@@missourivalleyarms4264 I can actually hear Sam screaming that. 🤣

[@yakbreeder]

@@missourivalleyarms4264 🤣one of the funniest men ever to perform.

[@rocker76m88]

@@yakbreeder Absolutely 💯 😃

[@rrmackay]

Please be honest, the white bathtub ring as you called it represents full pool, it hasn't dropped from the highest level of the ring in a year, that has happened over many years. Lets all recognize that it is in the middle of the largest desert in north America, how surprised should we be that the desert is dry? that the desert has droughts? Was the drop caused by climate change or by the totally expected and cyclical drought patterns of a desert?

[@paulvlietstra2493]

A single gondola railroad car holds approximately 380000 gallons o water times that by 100 cars shipped from flooded areas in the east. People just ignored this.

[@elborko6821]

Having lived with the Hopi I have spent some time on the lake but always wanted to see the canyon as it was. I was adopted by the water clan of the Hopi and was taught how water is so sacred and we abuse it to access. Is your lawn worth it?

[@tomwestbrook]

I remember the National Geographic magazine feature in the 60's when I was just a boy about that horrible dam project and the opposition to it. I'm so happy there's a chance that I might be able hike there in the not too distant future. Should have never been built.

[@thelastcrusaders6317]

40 million peoplw are about to face a crisis which will be felt nation wide....... and you only see an opportunity to hike??

[@izzimichaels2892]

@@thelastcrusaders6317 id guess he wants to hike, to explore and admire the beauty of the canyon that has been hidden underwater.

[@JasonJohnson]

@@thelastcrusaders6317 they created the problem they'll now have to deal with. Part of developing new area, and a home owner's responsibility is to ensure their house is responsibly built and sustainable.

[@270eman]

@@thelastcrusaders6317 A city doesn't belong in the desert.

[@lifeongps]

Look at Lake Meade also, I do believe from not diverting water properly. Would not relocate some birds.

[@patriciaguenzler9150]

Thanks for the video 👍

[@waltervineyard5715]

Lake Mead is 2.5 feet from losing 12 of 17 turbines and dropping several inches per DAY. About 2 weeks maybe less with this week ends heat.

[@SimpStonks]

Meanwhile omg did you hear about Johnny Depp and oh we need to go protest lmao it's a joke, no one is paying attention to this ticking time bomb

[@rcisneros8567]

While I don't disagree with your point, your numbers are off. The cut-off for Hoover Dam is 900 feet and it's still over a thousand. 1,042.12 10 July 2022. There is no need to exaggerate an already massive problem.

[@VinhNguyen-mm7xi]

Well I mean we had plenty of chances to stop this from happening, but you know people don't learn until it's either to late or affects them personally.

[@RaineeG62]

Mother Nature takes back what is hers. We pitiful humans think we control everything and we're so shocked when our efforts fail. We need to learn to work with the natural world, not against it.

[@mray8519]

Phoenix issued 60,000+ building permits in 2021. Draw your own conclusions.

[@mylesgray3470]

Snowfall this season was average. We have a consumption problem, not a supply problem. The supply is what it is, we are just overusing it.

[@raviatm]

@@mylesgray3470 we have a suppy and demand problem

[@sharonmickey4566]

This is what happens when the US Gov't kicked the can down the road since the 1950's. The've know this was going to happen for DECADES!!!!!!

[@watchinvidzwatchinvidz7691]

The Government should be called don't give a sh!t bc the literally don't so..

[@lewisdoherty7621]

They knew and everyone got decades of water for agriculture, large cities and fountains for Las Vegas, now the punchbowl is empty and it's time to move to the next party. The west is littered with ghost towns. They knew the minerals would be mined out one day and the time came to move to something else. I heard that these housing developments were required to guarantee 100 years of water. Really, how do they guarantee that? You have 100 years of water, but it is located in the Great Lakes. All you have to do is go there and get your share. Bring a lot of bottles.

[@Kitajima2]

@@watchinvidzwatchinvidz7691 I mean, The US is basically the only first world country where corporations can legally buy politicians, Not sure what Americans were expecting with that setup.

[@MyerShift7]

@@lewisdoherty7621 the west can keep its dirty hands out of my Great Lakes. They're off limits.

[@lewisdoherty7621]

@@MyerShift7 I was joking. It is far more practical to recycle water and move industries elsewhere.

[@ericmiller5642]

well done i lived in the area for 10 years, and wondered how long st george, and vegas could sell domestic water taps.

[@michaelcurtis4418]

Remember that your in a Desert area , it rains sometimes and it doesn't rain sometimes stops for years at times

[@benthomson9397]

The same thing is happening at Lake Mead. I don't think it's so much running out of water, but too much demand on what is there. Two hundred years ago, this 'drought' would hardly be considered serious because of the low demand on water in the area but now with millions demanding water..yup..the drought is serious.

[@ebhkkc1]

fact

[@loyann011]

But LUV these nice green golf courses in Phoenix and the new million+ people mega- city they're still planning on building in East Mesa

[@ebhkkc1]

@@loyann011 sad !!!!!!

[@airpros9927]

No kidding….😝

[@bobsmith6544]

WRONG! You sound like Joe Biden just making crap up. Unless LA is "in the area".

[@patriciaribaric3409]

Nature is reclaiming it's land.

[@TranslucentStudios]

Good report. Solid work. Thank you.

[@realityjunky]

"It's like a dead forest coming out of the water..." Investigative journalism at its best!

[@davidcarlin3850]

Absolutely mind blowing that nothing is said about the enormous development in the desert. There should not be homes in the desert if there is no reliable water supply. It’s simple math here. They are using more than us being replenished

[@jgaffney567]

It is not just homes. It is golf courses, businesses and farms

[@evoxpop2088]

That is the American way, just look at our economy, our budget deficit and our own personal behaviors. We divert natural river flows just because we can and built wherever just because we can. We are getting close to our own comeuppance.

[@jgaffney567]

@@evoxpop2088 it is the feeling that humans are above nature and a god has given human animals to monetize resources despite what it does to the environment.

[@mdb1239]

Take lots and lots and lots of pictures. Last year we had lots/tons of water on east of the Rockies in Colorado. Now this year even the eastern side is experiencing drought. At least the snowfall this winter was almost normal.

[@freddafishy]

Oh man that sucks

[@madb132]

What's all this about droughts in Desserts? Do desserts even have droughts? WTF! 🤔

[@stevenboldt6489]

More houses! More apartments! More casinos!

[@Airwr3ck]

You forgot stupid large golf courses

[@SuperAgentman007]

The problem with the water level in Lake Mead is twofold one is Hoover dam it uses 9,200,000,000,000 gallons of water in two years Number two is historic drought it has not rained there in a long time! You can save what you have by shutting down Hoover Dam. For at least two years that we will save 9,200,000,000,000 gallons of water 💦 otherwise within four years Lake Meade will be called Meade Canyon!

[@wildbikerbill6530]

No, you can not just shut down Hoover Dam. 1. You would lose the hydropower - Las Vegas would definitly notice. 2. There is a treaty agreement with Mexico guarateeing them a certain amount of water.

[@msjoanofthearc]

The land can only support so many people.

[@TechGorilla1987]

@1:03 - This very exchange is why I ditched our TV's in 2011. The fisherman very accurately describes the situation in perfectly understandable English and the trained seal "reporter" repeats the cromulent statement as a question to seem smart and engaging. Neither of those two things are true.

[@DudeStone]

Should have left the desert to be what it was and not make green oases now there might not be any coming back from that

[@mpgingdl]

Nature's slow and patient reclamation in already in progress.

[@trapizonn3603]

I live in vegas and lake mead has been going lower and lower each year. It’s scary and sad to see.

[@sbnl1214]

It’s an artificial lake

[@torkakarshiro7319]

So... how about banning open pools first and rationing water in general? Better than running out of water, isn't it?

[@insulatoru8817]

I went to Lake Powell around 2006, to this day I still say it is one of my favorite places ever, this initially made me sad past few yrs hearing of the trouble it’s in but now watching this shows a different perspective I had never thot about. Thx

[@michaeld5888]

Building populations up to match the good times is just the ancient well established way for a people to come and then inevitably to go. Nothing really changes and technology is still helpless against the forces of nature on any large scale and tends to destruction rather than creation on any long term view.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

It is also usage just not climate change. Over population has increased water usage.

[@vJackaRoo]

This isn't due to drought, this is overuse of a limited resource.

[@lc285]

Thank you for reporting on this matter. Good piece of journalism.

[@SkotiM]

A warmer climate means a wetter climate, means more rain, means less drought. This isn't being caused by global warming, it's being caused by 40 million people wanting water.

[@moneybags7064]

why do they always leave out the fact that there are five times the amount of people depending and consuming these reservoirs than the was 40-50 years ago? seems disingenuous

[@benny67565]

Why is the draught only affecting 2 lakes Powell and Mead?

[@chris4973]

Gréât read on this subject - A Great Aridness, by William DeBuys. Looking at some of the comments… depressing, leaves little to hope for humanity. The ignorance and trolling is stunning.

[@KCNwokoye]

It's shocking that with all the sunlight that these regions have, they haven't capitalized on natural resources. These canyons look stunning and are taking back their natural state. Something good is coming out of nature forcing the change.

[@hotdogstandman]

Yep. Sediment can be returned back to the Grand Canyon to restore the beaches that used to be there. Thats 1 plus

[@hotdogstandman]

@@andrewchristie2970 Humans don’t own this Earth. This Earth has been here for 4.5billion years. How many years do you think we’ve been here? Don’t be selfish

[@edmundf.kuelliiispiritualn2963]

Greed

[@tedschmitt178]

There is no such thing as a water shortage. There IS such a thing as a water allocation problem.

[@shawnaball1469]

Wow 😮