Why Lake Mead is Drying Up

The Colorado River is one of the most important rivers in the United States, and supplies water to more than 40 million people. Along this 1400 mile long stretch is river lies Lake Mead, the largest Resoivwar in the United States. While the Colorado River has historically been a strong supplier of freshwater to this entire region, Today the Colorado River is reaching record low water levels, threatening the water supply at both Lake Mead and Lake Powell. But the real reason behind this decline is more complex than many would first believe, and is the result of a number of large scale infrastructure projects build throughout this region.
The Central Arizona Project and the Colorado River Aqueduct are playing a key role in the Colorado River's declining water levels, and will see their first water cuts early next year. But all of this raises the question, can the decline of the Colorado river actually be reversed, and how will it impact the states in this region of America?
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#lakemead #drought #california © 2023 Arkive Productions LLC

[@ArkiveYT]

There are many awesome videos in production, so be sure to subscribe.

[@borivojetravica569]

85% savings are be on Israel model of irrigation, cover aqueduct and lake's to stopping evaporation, fuuck LA,LV- let's California build aqueduct from northern states and Canada... problem solved

[@missjddrage1111]

Absolutely have already! Thank you for the knowledge. 🤘🥂🔥

[@pherron7471]

I know it sounds like a simple answer, but could they possibly slowly start filling up southernmost reservoirs and work their way up north? After they're filled, then manage them more efficiently than they did previously.

[@julianshepherd2038]

God is angry with America.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

"Why lake Mead is running out of water?" Because government refuses to fill the lake to trigger an emergency state which gives them the power to redefine water allotment from the Colorado river for the various states. That is why.

[@RedNeckSurgeyTech]

Who would have ever thought huge cities in the desert would run into water problems?

[@themike4131]

Yah but they say they plan 100 years ahead so if that’s true we will all be dead before it dries

[@jimmylegs06]

Nope. Only climate change can cause this all. havent you heard?

[@bishop51807]

You have a lot of production factories around and take water from the Colorado River. Climate change is also a big factor too. You have other places in the world that are facing record extreme drought as well like the Rhine in Germany Also don't forget MFing Nestlé who buys up and or drains any freshwater source they can get their hands on, only to sell it back to you.

[@luxuryhub1323]

People don't need bright green lawns and golf courses in the middle of a desert. Gotta adapt to local environment

[@joshuaconstable6323]

Amen, alot of people dont want to hear this

[@RK-cj4oc]

Bruh. 70% of the water goes to agriculture. Private water use is not the problem. Stop allowing alfalfa and almonds to be grown in the desert. That will do more than people watering their lawns. I agree about the golf courses f them too.

[@livehardone9437]

@@RK-cj4oc I’d rather the water go to food production than to keep grass green that provides no useful return other than aesthetics. It’s called prioritizing a limited resource for the greatest return, Brah.

[@RK-cj4oc]

@@livehardone9437 Yeah, no. It makes way more sense to have the agriculture be in the actual wet parts of the country than in the desert., the desert can support the people and easily Industry and people watering their lawns. but it cannot support 15% of its agricultural water usage going to alfalfa which is exported to china while sucking up all the water in California.

[@livehardone9437]

@@RK-cj4oc Of the 4 million MT f alfalfa exported from the U.S., China imported 1.18 million MT. The greater benefit being reducing the trade deficit and strengthening the dollar on the world market. I’d rather water go towards the production of food and creating value than towards keeping yard grass green. Moving production to other areas that are already being utilized for production completely demonstrates your lack of knowledge towards agriculture production practices. There is no relocating production with out eliminating production. Where do you think food comes from? LOL. Brah?

[@qwerasdfzxcv5669]

Who could have guessed that getting enough water to support a massive wasteful population and huge agriculture industry in a desert might be difficult?

[@Artoconnell]

NIce read, just as you were programmed, the real reason is man made famine. but thanks fur playin

[@WaspLife]

@@Artoconnell What are you even saying?

[@4dennis]

The agricultural industry are not being efficient with their irritation system. Thst 75% of our water! And only 25% of it goes to cities and homes for millions of people. Let that sink in. Also, Arizona has almost the same about of water rights as California with only a fraction of population. The wasteful agricultural system in the nothing but desert Arizona is the cause. But no one is talking about agriculture because lobbyists and political elbow rubs are playing a huge role. And they say we need to take less showers. Please. Go redo your sprinkler heads and systems. Spraying all this water when only 10% actually hits the crops. Smh.

[@georgianaradauti7315]

@@4dennis psst do u think ur shower is more important than ur stomach? Just asking. That said there is something to say doing agriculture in a desert =stupid. There was a reason 100 years ago people wouldnt live in large numbers in desert because of the poor quality of the ground. Also another stupid thing is to plant something that doesn't naturally grows in the area. Say wheat there are areas where it does very very well and areas where it doesn't. Why the h do u plant it forced in an area where it doesn't? My country has 3 areas of planting with 2 totally different timing for planting. What u can plant in south in feb in mountain u plant in april. The 3d area is a combo but with rusian rulete- u can havr 20 degrees tday in feb and tmorow 30cm of snow thats a diferent planting area. Our grandfathers weren't stupid when planing the planting....our generations are wacked in head

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Stop growing stupid high water demand crops like cotton in desert. Reuse wastewater for landscaping.

[@andreasschroder7880]

You could have mentioned that the problem is not only a temporary issue related to the drought and the current water distribution. The Colorado River Agreement itself is flawed. Its numbers are and always have been higher than the average amount of water in the Colorado. In short, the agreement distributes more water than the Colorado carries even without the drought.

[@JasonUnderdown]

Exactly! The compact assumes 15 million acre feet of flow per year, but the year they measured the flow happened to be an unusually wet year. This flawed assumption is the main source of the mismanagement. The video never mentions this important fact!

[@PeterPete]

But the demand for water is still there, Colorado River or no Colorado River!!!

[@420wizdumb6]

Someone mentioned to me that some regulation(s) are not allowing reservoirs to hold water and making them release the water downstream and its flowing right out the golden gate. Sketchy but seems plausible. I should have time this weekend to look further into it.

[@tylerkepple640]

It's not a temporary issue, the region has experienced the most rainfall in a period of 150 years in recorded history, so the original calculations were based on an usually precipitous period, and the last 20 years they have called a drought but in reality the region has been experiencing precipitation levels more akin to what is typical for the region. So the water most likely is not going to replenish any time soon and drastic adaptations will need to be made or the southwest is going to become an abandoned wasteland end of story.

[@WaterspoutsOfTheDeep]

The ratio divided up between the various states is wildly off. That is the whole reason government is forcing an emergency state in lake mead on purpose. It gives them the power to redefine the water rights from the river. That is the real answer to the question of the video title.

[@eyefulpower]

Los Angeles pop. 3,898,747. Phoenix pop. 1,608,139. Las Vegas pop. 2,227,053. Nealy 40 million people rely on Colorado River water. There simply isn't enough water. \

[@purplespeckledappleeater8738]

Most of the water of the entire Colorado River Basin goes to California. California has the the ability to be completely water independent if they just build up their infrastructure or desalinate. The SW states do not have the options California has because they are arid landlocked states dependent on a river basin. 5 states and Mexico are paying the price for California hogging all the water, and California send 50% of that water out to sea for environmental reasons.

[@mattmayo3539]

Here in the Central Valley where it meets the delta. My city owns its water district. Using recycled water for irrigation. Just this month our county has outlined the plans for the construction of a desalination plant on the delta. Effectively giving the county water independence. 111 degrees here today!

[@coopandcarter]

I watched a video on the desalination plant in San Diego. Provides lots of clean fresh water to the area. Problem is, it produces a lot of brine which is dumped back into the ocean. Seems like every solution has some downside to it.

[@andersson.l.e]

@@coopandcarter Isn't it possible to make usable salt out of it. Just a thought.

[@richardschipper5989]

@@coopandcarter well everyone is saying the ice caps are melting decreasing the salinity, putting the brine back into the ocean just maintains it 😅

[@Balthorium]

Democrats in the California government who appoint the unelected BCDC and California Coastal Commission will forbid this solution like they did to Huntington Beach a couple months ago.

[@chrisanderson2487]

Obviously we need more golf courses in the desert

[@davidwelty9763]

The southwest region has grown by millions without any new water programs. None of this should be a surprise.

[@randmayfield5695]

I remember 1983 and the floods below Hoover dam. It wasn't catastrophic because the water had a controlled release. There was a carnival atmosphere along the communities that lined the river. The discharge water was crystal clear and ice cold even in the summer because it was a hypo-limenectic release.

[@nerfherder4284]

When I lived in AZ they were realizing that the controlled release of water in a non flood manner was seriously hurting the whole riparian ecosystem down stream. In fact humans have effectively halted the process by which the grand canyon was formed.

[@asianheat2323]

It's a desert. The environment wasn't made to be home to so many people. There's a reason why ancient people who lived in deserts didn't have many settlements. Always on the move. Those that do end up being abandoned if they over grow the environment resources. Look to history and we'll find the answers

[@aTitan]

Wow, amazing video. Never knew about these problems as I don't live close, thanks for the info

[@ivanjeta1356]

Let me guess... No Golf Clubs will be closed in California, but farmers in Arizona will have to put land out of production.

[@pablopicaro7649]

Golf courses use reclaimed water, water after it is pooped and pee in, then filtered out

[@ivanjeta1356]

@@pablopicaro7649 Ah yes... Because that water would be completely useless in farmland right? 😆

[@painmt651]

I visited Powell, this year, and HooverDam recently. It is astonishing to see in person, how low the water has gotten!

[@glennpowell3444]

It took 5 years to fill Mead before the dam went into use.We cant make water we just have to wait for rain and collect it.Thats the problem.We cant make water.Water use is growing and regular rainfall is lessening.Las Vegas arguably needs to go?

[@percreig]

@@glennpowell3444 Can you show the statistics if the rainfall is lessening? For example, last 100 years?

[@fauxque5057]

@@glennpowell3444 Turn off the hydroelectric generators and you can fill the reservoir back up. When you are dumping millions of gallons just to create electricity you're going to drain your reservoir everytime

[@bucdenny]

@@glennpowell3444 yes you can make water. Convert sea water aka Desalination. It’s about cost.

[@Codysdab]

@@bucdenny it's verboten nowadays to do that due to "climate change" california could get all of its water from the sea, they just need huge desalination plants. Californians won't accept it as they'd need new nuclear power stations to power the plants and for some reason california hates them. The only users of the colorado river should be land locked states, and where possible they should build pipelines from the coast to supply desalinated water, rather than river flow.

[@wisencareful4645]

Thank you … brilliant explanation of the situation. Water is so precious

[@NiceBowser]

We’re actually so efficient here in Las Vegas that we really don’t have concerns with water for the next 10-20 years. We actually use below our allotment for lake mead and are one of the top water conservative cities in the nation. Despite our growing population, our water usage actually remains the same. 25-30 years down the line I might be concerned (maybe sooner if CA doesn’t get on board with water conservation since they’re the biggest puller of lake mead)

[@brokendownoldman9547]

Everyone is blaming everyone, this is (North America) America or is it the United States of America?

[@richbattaglia5350]

He’s right. Cali is wasteful where Vegas is conservative of its water.

[@NYyankeeboi]

When California starts requiring the 600+ golf courses in So Cal that each use a million gallons of water a day....Then I'll jump on the bandwagon to converse more water.

[@schalitz1]

There's a reason most of Central Saudi Arabia and the Australian Outback are empty. Large populations and deserts don't really go well together. Apparently we are to stupid to realize that 🙃.

[@daryl4841]

Yup. Even the densely populated China and India have enough common sense to cluster around regions of ample precip, fertile land, and multiple river sources. They don't go out of their way to build cities of millions of people on their arid western sections of thier countries.

[@Macdaddy8124U]

Make no mistake, government is the reason this has happened!

[@frankhenninger7416]

What is the evaporative loss from all those uncovered canals in the deserts?

[@electronicsworkbench]

I would think less than the sprayer systems spraying water into the dry air to water the crops that shouldn't be grown in a desert in the first place.

[@bardmadsen6956]

Typically swimming pools out there drop half an inch per day and they are not isolated in the open desert. What is the surface area?

[@MrSneaksful]

Right! Grew up with a pool in the 100+ days that would last 2-3 months, we would have to add water daily due to evaporation and it wasnt a desert. I believe, at the size of the canals, that would be a significant amount of water loss. Is it too much to cover the dang canals in this country? Our most precious resource and off it goes into the air. Solar panel canal covers are finally being talked about in my state. The sluggishness of this government......the canals are going to dry up next, then will cover them.

[@mrbillhilly343]

Canals are very wasteful as the water evaporates. Pipelines would've been more efficient. California needs to build water desalination plants, one in Los Angeles & one in San Diego to take the edge off the Hoover Dam. How much water is wasted in making shower pr0r0nos & fake rain on movie sets just by L.A. alone? Another wasteful way of using water is evaporative cooling air conditioning, squirting water on a haybale with a fan behind it to cool the air.

[@mrbillhilly343]

@@tomalexander7607 I know those actors, I talk to them regularly in chat rooms. They tell me filming a 30 minute video that you see on "NAUGHTY SITE" can take 11 hours to film.

[@michaeldepodesta001]

Very informative: Thank you.

[@mgee669]

Excellent explanation!thank you.

[@amindamok]

its clear what the reason is. There is and only ever was a limited amount of water yet the southwest and west kept demanding more from it. unfortunately, they were given what they asked for for too long.

[@jjflip07]

If what we are being told about climate change is true and the glaciers are melting that means more water not less, correct?

[@amindamok]

@@jjflip07 No. Just because a glacier melts doesn't mean more water everywhere. Just more water somewhere. That somewhere will most certainly be not the Southwest United States. We should be more discerning in our logic and not let politicians hijack issues that are not political. Global warming isn't and shouldn't be a political debate. Nor should politics play a role in how we address it. It is a fact it is happening. It doesn't mater how it happened only what we can do to slow it down or prevent it. If that means being smarter about what we as humans are doing then that's what we should be doing. But to oppose any form of prevention because people don't believe the WHY part is not useful. It's a lot like car accidents. We make cars safer not because we can't agree on why car accidents happen but because we know they happen. It doesn't matter why.

[@tumppu123-h4s]

@@jjflip07 yes and no because climate change will mean longer dry seasons but when it rains it really DOES RAIN A LOT but this isnt the reason for colorado river's issues

[@Mr91495osh]

I would like to see a graph of how much water is coming in, rain, snow, other rivers against where it is going, farming, grass, home/business.

[@nerfherder4284]

Seems like that would have been a prudent place to start, instead of handing out more water than was coming in.

[@igot2remember]

I think the problem is California, the amount of water that go to LA, and use of the water over there. Moving the water into a area it cannot easily return with the wind as rain is the issue. Another problem is desert city in general. They need to design the building in hot climate to reflect heat during the day, and not store it in the building structure. Ever wonder why most ancient Greek building were almost all white?

[@JessicaTG2008]

id like to see a graph that shows the amount of water used in agriculture that ends up being shipped out of the united states to other countries who already know and forbid the use of water to grow these products. Lets Stop THAT now and save the water for, I don't know, the US.

[@jaymerino1912]

Really makes a lot of sense. Farming in a desert. ..brilliant.. department of environmental mismanagement.

[@johnnash5118]

@2:30 The Colorado River has the second most dams in North America, the Snake River has 20 and the Columbia River has 14. However, in volumetric discharge in cubic feet per second, the Columbia River puts out an annual average of 265,000 cfs, its largest tributary, the Snake River puts out 56,900 cfs, another tributary, the Willamette River puts out 37,400 cfs, while the Colorado River puts out 14,000 cfs. This is because the Columbia River drains an area of the NW with the greatest amount of rainfall compared to the dry SW.

[@swayjaayy5495]

I thought so. Glad you said that. I was thinking to myself, the Snake river has tons.

[@nerfherder4284]

Most of the basin for those rivers are in eastern Washington and Oregon, which actually looks VERY similar to Arizona, with summer temps into the hundreds.

[@dwnmddl]

Farmers are growing thousand and thousands of acres of corn in southern Arizona. It takes a massive amount more water to grow corn in Arizona then it takes to grow the same amount of corn in Iowa or Nebraska or Georgia. The department of agriculture gives grants to farmers in high production states and then they give grants to help Arizona farmers pay their exorbitant water bills.

[@mrbillhilly343]

Olives require not much water. Olive trees are like camels, they will grow anywhere. But surplus olives make olive oil, a good form of bio-Diesel; which the oil industry wouldn't like.

[@thomasmixson7064]

Corn, much of it most likely is converted to ethanol at great expense and gov subsidies. All as our country has abundant petroleum resources and an industry that produces reasonably clean, safe,, affordable fuels. Fairy Dust & Unicorn Alien fuel?. Sure someday, but till then...

[@williamerazo3921]

Fucking ridiculous. Like state agriculture department should know what crops to plant in a desert

[@beernutzbob]

Corn Production by State: Top 11 of 2021 The top 11 corn-producing states (and their total production) of 2021 was: Production Rankings: 2021 Rank State Production (M bu) 1 Iowa 2552.2 2 Illinois 2191.7 3 Nebraska 1854.6 4 Minnesota 1395.5 5 Indiana 1027.7 6 Kansas 750.6 7 South Dakota 739.8 8 Ohio 644.6 9 Missouri 548.8 10 Wisconsin 547.2 11 North Dakota 381.1

[@jenspetersen5865]

When you are looking at how Israel uses drip watering systems, and how insanely efficient it is, then it insane that you see watering in Arizona takes place with sprinklers in the middle of the day. Using the Savory methods and drip watering should solve this

[@formulah113]

And yet on rainy days people still say it's crappy weather.

[@evilcartmensolo7198]

One other huge factor in water decline in the Colorado River is an invasive plant called tamarisk. It's takes up huge amounts of water and is found all along the colorado in the last 10 years. It's almost impossible to kill. Herbicide won't kill it, so you have to kill it physically by cutting it down then applying Herbicide which is nearly impossible given the topography of the region. Some estimates of each plant using over 200 gallons of water a day have been determined, and it's all along the riverbanks. Horrible plant.

[@themike4131]

Bull shit 200 gallons my ass lol

[@matjazkranjc]

Excuses. It is only usage issue by the people. Capitalism in its finest.

[@igot2remember]

I doubt its the plant. Is the invasive plant a problem? Yes, but its definitely not the reason why there is no water. I think the problem is transferring of water molecules into areas it cannot evaporate into the atmosphere and easily return with the wind as rain. I think California location, the amount of water that go to LA, and use of that water is the major issue.

[@evilcartmensolo7198]

@@igot2remember no I never meant that, that was the whole issue. In fact there are many factors, it's just that about 11 years ago we never had this plant along our rivers , and now it's everywhere. It's nearly impossible to kill, takes up tons of water. The smaller plants are in every crevasse, under bridges, and if allowed to get big enough it turns into a tree. Here in Colorado they have used herbicide, chainsaws and even introduced a bug that was suppost to eat only this plant. And after many years and bunches of money it's still here. So it's definitely not helping the issue.

[@igot2remember]

@@evilcartmensolo7198 I get that, but what i was also pointing out in regard to any plant, is that a plant that drink a lot of water, don't make water molecule disappear from the area. It store those molecule in it's body for use later, or evaporate it back into the air. Either or, the molecule stay in the area, so the rain cycle will still come. Moving water to area like Cali, that have a mountain that make it difficult for the wind to bring evaporated water molecule back, stop the water cycle. Your main concern in regard to water should not be this plant.

[@profesonalantagonist]

It seems that if all states pulled together and developed desalination plants for those communities closest to the ocean, the resulting decrease of water demand would benefit all. Resulting in a more stable and secure water supply.

[@trutrek913]

It would be stopped by environmentalists.

[@mikedonovan4434]

Since 1983, 19 million more consumers of the same quantity of water today; one does not need an advanced degree to predict the outcome.

[@johnulmer6715]

Gee, who ever thought moving several 10s of millions of people into and turning several million acres of desert into farm land could have a negative effect. Stupidity in tge grandest form. What amazes me further is you see similar projects on the Nile and other rivers around the world. Just because we can move a lot of dirt doesn't mean we are smart enough to understand the repercussions. Insanity!

[@dre3951]

Demand is exceeding supply, that is clear. It would be nice to see how much of the imbalance is due to one vs. the other. Growing population or worsening droughts? How much of each?

[@Elite59]

@@DonLicuala one single almond requires about 3 gallons per year. Almonds for the most part are grown in the central valley of California.

[@chatteyj]

There is no shortage of rain in the south west this year that much is clear, so blaming water shortages on 'drought' seems disingenuous at this point.

[@tedlahm5740]

Growing agricultural always.

[@itsins363]

California almond farms are in central and northern cal. ZERO Colorado river water used there. Next.

[@jimparsons9454]

There is also the allocating the water during the wettest time in the last 1200 years. They didn't know they were in a wet period, after all it is a desert. Then add in overuse and evaporation equals holy fuck we are running out of water. They really need to get their shit together and cut out any consumption that isn't explicitly for human consumption.

[@doctormcboy5009]

who would have thought a lake in the desert would dry up? crazy right?

[@frankcoffey]

This is a good time to do inspections on the dams. I wonder if there is risk of some type of damage to the dams from the drop in water level.

[@ZacLowing]

Interesting. I wonder if the dam tilts in with no wall of pressure?

[@kennixox262]

Dams are inspected on a regular basis with water or no water.

[@michaelhill56]

No risk of damage. That concrete is still curing and getting harder. The big danger was in 83 when the river flooded like never before in modern history. There's a great video of this event and how man tried to tame the river. I worked as a guide during this flooding and people just don't understand the power of moving water...

[@marksrepairj623]

Can't sleep, till I came across ur video... lol lots good facts tho.

[@goahead3995]

Here in Phoenix area, they continue to build large scale towns with new homes, water parks, a 13 billion computer chip factory at the corner of Rte 17 and 303. This factory and Intel in Chandler will use billions of gallons of water. I don't uneducated the builders continue building without any thoughts on Reservoir Mead. If that dries up, Phoenix, Vegas, and other major cities will be doomed! And who's absolutely brilliant idea to build farms in the desert??? Oh my lord...

[@gomezz8531]

Quite simple really-the Vegas area population has grown massively in the 40yrs but its still the same water sources providing the water.

[@andrewpena100]

And yet we use the least amount of water out of all 7 states by a large margin.

[@dietmarstahl8888]

It's very simple. Self running desalination. Make inlets from the ocean to flat tidal filled basins. Paint these basins black. When the sun shine on it the saltwater evaporates as fresh water. Add an glass house on top of these basins where the evaporated water condenses. Then add a glass funnel inside the glass house to collect the fresh water. Use a solar powered pump to pump it into a storage place.. Periodically remove the salt deposits from the basin.

[@fc001time2getgoin]

Nice video

[@monorail4252]

The Chattahoochee River has a similar issue but it generally itself area isn't prone to drought but areas down stream have issues with contamination. It won't be long before the Chattahoochee is in a similar situation.

[@brokendownoldman9547]

The Colorado River "was" one of the most important rivers in the United States, and supplies water to more than 40 million people.

[@LordSaliss]

But it only has incoming supply for 17 million, so easy to see why it is running out. Stupid people building cities without regard to how they will be supported for far too many years.

[@mikek2337]

Population and agriculture usage of water in 1983 was probably half of what it is in 2022. The supply of water source is most likely at a constant level but since the water usage has doubled now it's no brainer why the water level keeps dropping. Probably small Part of it might be drought but it's mostly due to over usage compared to the supply.

[@fababybaby4807]

i went to the dam in 96. went back in 21. it was so hard to find the spot that i had photo of. then i did and the water no longer flowed there.

[@krodkrod8132]

I love the CO river. Pulled about 70 pounds of gold out of it over the years.

[@krodkrod8132]

@Tom Preble I have a large crew and that 20 years worth. And over a 1000 acres of claims

[@darrenrobinson9041]

@Tom Preble - 70 pounds = 1120 oz. Gold price is $1700 per oz. Equals 1.9 milion dollars. Over 20 years equals $95,000 per year. So a crew member would be living in luxury at $10,000 per year.

[@krodkrod8132]

@@darrenrobinson9041 We don't do it for money. Its a hobby.

[@Srulio]

Big projects lead to big problems. It would be interesting to find out how much water for irrigation could be saved by switching from sprinkler style to low evaporation drip style.

[@jmfa57]

Circumstances will cause us to find out, hopefully sooner rather than later. I'm not one to complain about farmers with my mouth full, but when one drives through California's central valley and sees all the sprinklers shooting mist into the hot air, one can't help but wonder if there might be a less wasteful way to achieve the same agricultural goals.

[@richarnold1224]

Pretty standard applies to anything big gov.

[@yuzzo92]

would it be possible to plant vegetation along the river and canals? would it imply environmental benefits? like any appreciable effects when it comes to mitigating evaporation

[@ThisGuy0186]

Fixing the problem is the stopping the storing of water like swimming pools, or what I believe to be the worst is plastic water bottles, Not only does that store water but it also create an issue with the plastic bottles when they’re done

[@Joe-xq3zu]

Anyone pushing for draining-ahmph- sorry I mean "importing from" the Great Lakes can go take a nice long walk out in their precious desert and never come back.

[@purplespeckledappleeater8738]

I can't believe that is still an idea.. Americans hate nuclear after what the Soviets did to Chernobyl but they still want to destroy the Great Lakes after what the Soviets did to the Aral Sea.

[@Daverloko1]

We need to start capturing as much storm runoff in city storm drains and start watering our crops and yards with the grey water from our homes. Trees and canopy over the canals would probably help with evaporation too.

[@fauxque5057]

No evaporation, no rain.

[@shellysmith1037]

oh yeah, I loves me some vergetables with detergents, chemicals and dog shit washed out of peoples clothes

[@rickschuman2926]

And the winner of the How Stupid Can You Be contest (actual a group) is those who thought they could do agriculture in a place where it doesn't rain.

[@A_J502]

Simple answer: there is more water leaving Lake Mead than going into the Lake. That’s it.

[@aloesecretinc]

no ones talking about the 16 mile diversion canal that was built in the colorado mountains, diverting water to the east.

[@brianpreston8483]

Your right, weres the info on that

[@imathreat209]

Short answers: wasting water on grass, building cities in the desert. I see new houses being built with lawns, as well as little to no incentives to change your yard into a water friendly yard.

[@ericburton5163]

Plus even if most of it goes to agriculture - A) Every little bit helps B) It looks bad politically C) Maybe we should look into ways to get the food we want without drying up our rivers.

[@ramakanthrama8578]

yes, building cities in middle of desert is not a good idea.

[@RK-cj4oc]

This is not the correct answer. Private water use is such a small parts. Its agriculture. Not peoples lawns.

[@4dennis]

It's not cities and homes. The agricultural industry are not being efficient with their irritation system. Thst 75% of our water! And only 25% of it goes to cities and homes for millions of people. Let that sink in. Also, Arizona has almost the same about of water rights as California with only a fraction of population. The wasteful agricultural system in the nothing but desert Arizona is the cause. But no one is talking about agriculture because lobbyists and political elbow rubs are playing a huge role. And they say we need to take less showers. Please. Go redo your sprinkler heads and systems. Spraying all this water when only 10% actually hits the crops. Smh.

[@imathreat209]

@@4dennis yeah i 100% agree with you on inefficient irrigation on agricultural

[@jstratten5326]

Stunning picture representing the difference 😳

[@terenfro1975]

Simple solution. Instead of allotting acres of water, allot a percentage of inflow. Until the system is full, do this at a 90% of inflow.

[@kennixox262]

Are they still releasing billions of gallons of water from the Buford Dam in order to keep river navigation open on the lower Chattahoochee River?

[@scottwhitworth2023]

He's leaving out the real truth.GREED. The general population uses a small fraction of water. Do a real study. You'll find that the agriculture in California, uses 70% of all the water. Most of these crops like alfalfa are being grown for other countries, not The United States. The Colorado river is running as it has for centuries. The difference is greedy people who refuse to cut down on their part. Greed is much like a drug. Once hooked ,no one wants to give it up. Mexico relies on this water as well .. No mention of that either. Lawn watering has a tiny fraction of responsibility. Bad information on social info sites is what big money and corrupt politicians want you to believe. They rely on your ignorance and assume you are too lazy to do the research and find the truth. Industries are draining the water faster than the natural flow can restore It. If this does not stop the southwest will ultimately turn back into the barron wasteland it was 100 years ago. Anyone with a negative comment about this message ...save it. Do the research and not from social platforms or media as they are merely puppets who's sponsors tell them what to say. Do your own thinking. Dont let them think for you.

[@MrSneaksful]

You are absolutly right. I was thinking Almonds but its really alfalfa, which most is exported to Saudi Arabia to feed their cows. Alfalfa in CA, uses 4-5.5m acre feet of water per year. 1 acre foot of water equals 326,000 gallons of water.Thats 5 million acre feet of water a year at 326,000 gallons per/ acre feet gives us 1.6 trillion gallons of water a year for cattle feed. Makes you not want to go to McD's anymore huh. Theres your Colorado river.

[@rosekennedy9562]

As a New Mexico resident, i live in the Rio Grand Valley, July Aug is our rainy or monson season. the Rio Grande runs dry several months a yr every yr, we just had a 100yr flood in last couple weeks, we have a reservoir on the Rio Grande that is at best a mile wide bout 35-45 miles long,last 2 yrs its been only 7-10 mi long less then 1/2 mile wide since our 100yr flood it has tripled in size, n may b 15'-30' deep, all the farms south are allocated 1 to 4 acre feet of water during the yr, 6p5% if the farms grow Pecans, Chili, onions , some cotton, rest is alfelfa n vegies, n cattle, so far this yr not many of the farmers had to there water wells yet, locals call the resivor Elephant Butte, also known as the Dam Site, its by TorC NM. Most of our water was sold off by our Dumb Govener to Texas, Colorado, Az, n Cal, n so she has come up short on our water allocations for our state several yrs running.

[@darrenrobinson9041]

@@MrSneaksful I always thought cotton growers used a lot of water, but a cotton industry site says - Studies have shown that cotton is a moderate water user in California, taking far less acre-feet of water per acre than almonds, pistachios, alfalfa, corn and many other row crops. In this state, almonds require an average of 3.5 acre-feet of water per acre, while cotton requires an average of 2.5 acre-feet of water per acre. Still, I hope fashion conscious people can realise that clothes have an environmental impact.

[@crazymoparguy5920]

@@darrenrobinson9041 clothes also keep us warm and safe from the environment.

[@crazymoparguy5920]

@@MrSneaksful only about 24% of the alfalfa grown in California uses water from the Colorado Basin. The largest producer of alfalfa is the San Joaquin Valley that uses water from the San Joaquin Basin. But California definitely needs to reevaluate what is grown in the state. Most farmers are going to grow what is most profitable, why shouldn’t they, everyone is entitled to making money if they can. Of course, California has many big “campany” or “commercial” farms, not small local farms. Those farms receive tax incentives from the state to grow their crops there, if those incentives were to stop those crops would be grown somewhere else. In the area I live, alfalfa is easy to grow since we receive a good amount of rain. There is little need to irrigate the fields here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t make as much money as other crops. The only ones growing it are those with horses or small ranch or dairy farms. The answer to California’s water problems are to the west, that big source of water known as the Pacific Ocean. Desalination plants could solve all the problems, and new technology is making the process easier and cheaper.

[@thomasmixson7064]

How about building a million plus city, that intertains millions of others each yr, has numerous golf courses, and acres of fountains and reflective pools in the middle of the desert??

[@mathisnotforthefaintofheart]

Correct me if I am wrong, but what I do not understand is why so many people past decades have moved to these dry states. I mean, Las Vegas alone has expanded so much in the past 20 years. For many decades people predicted water shortages. Phoenix has become something like the 5th largest city of the country? It wasn't like that 30 years ago.

[@PG-3462]

Because most people don't have enough knowledge to understand the impact of their actions, or they don't want to make the efforts to understand how things work. It's the same reason that explains why most people are still buying massive 4x4 SUVs despite knowing that our overconsumption of fossil fuel accelerates global warming. Or why people still generate tons of plastic trash every year while this can easily be avoided by making some changes to our lifestyle. People don't want to think about where the things they consume (including water) come from

[@Mr91495osh]

How much water does Las Vegas consume compared to rain volume?

[@RealzFoSho]

If you need to add water every year to grow something, you should not be growing it there. Adding water some years makes complete sense, but it should not be needed every year and it should not exceed a certain percent of the average annual rainfall. They need to get AG under control by passing strict but reasonable water use limitations based on land size and average rainfall to force AG to either close up shop or switch focus to farming that is sustainable in that area. And that goes for all over the country, not just those areas using water from the Colorado River. Farming water hungry crops in a dry climate should not be happening, unless the farmer invests in systems that allow them to do it with low water draw that is more in line with the water use that local plants would expect. Same goes for non-farmers. If your grass is green and nothing else is, you need need to figure out your priorities.

[@bradspaugh9827]

Yeah, lets just let it all dry up. Genius.

[@darrenrobinson9041]

Putting farmers out of business never won anybody an election.

[@richardschipper5989]

right, and you can eat the sand

[@cranbers]

If anyone looked at a sat view of all those cities in those desert states, a lot of those houses in rich areas have pools, green lawns, golf courses, and water parks in the cities, even in AZ. You also see insane farms as far as the eye can see in the middle of the desert. Now add in population in all those states have gone up orders of magnitude in the desert and you have a hell of problem . Now go look at any other country that has deserts, its sand with buildings. As great as the US, people who developed this area had no sense of the word conserve and limitations. One river can't supply the entire southwest as if water isn't in short supply so lets act as if those areas can support life like its near the great lakes or even the east coast.

[@purplespeckledappleeater8738]

Most of the water of the entire Colorado River Basin goes to California and right now no water is moving down past the Hoover Dam. Five other states and Mexico are being screwed by the radical policies of one state that refuses to build infrastructure to meet their own water needs.

[@Vinrx7]

Also!!!... less snow pack in Northern California and Colorado plays a big part. Changes in temperature which is partly a natural cycle and partly caused by humans. In California, some folks water their 2 acres of lawn every day for 30 minutes. For some of those homes, the residents are only there maybe 2 months out of the year. City fines them for gross water usage but that doesn't stop them. GOOD TIMES!

[@brokendownoldman9547]

The Alva B. Adams tunnel up in Colorado is sending Colorado River water east thru the Rocky Mountains before it has a chance to flow down river to Lake Powell & Lake Mead (both man made lakes).

[@IMTHEBIGGESTCUNT]

Incredible that a planet covered by 70% water is experiencing this issue. Super Yachts can turn sea water into drinking water. Clever stuff!

[@homiej8163]

I mean, when only 0.3% of that water is actually drinkable, it’s not that shocking. And a 5 million super yacht isn’t going to magically start growing food.

[@IMTHEBIGGESTCUNT]

@@homiej8163 5 million? Some of these yachts are 200-300 million+ They have a crew of 20-50 and then the guests.. 100 people onboard drinking urine no doubt!? There’s a name for extracting salt from sea water and turning it into drinking water.. and it’s not Cu…

[@patriot1303]

Another reason to close the borders - we don’t have the water for millions of people streaming across the border adding to the demand. California has the largest population? I wonder why that is

[@MoshMob]

Just shut off the flow to California and the rest of us will be fine. They literally live by an ocean and need to figure out desalination.

[@Joe-xq3zu]

They actually did build a bunch of desal plants back in the early 00's, but nearly all of them have been shut down because they were creating ecological dead zones from dumping the leftover brine back into the ocean.

[@4dennis]

The agricultural industry are not being efficient with their irritation system. Thst 75% of our water! And only 25% of it goes to cities and homes for millions of people. Let that sink in. Also, Arizona has almost the same about of water rights as California with only a fraction of population. The wasteful agricultural system in the nothing but desert Arizona is the cause. But no one is talking about agriculture because lobbyists and political elbow rubs are playing a huge role. And they say we need to take less showers. Please. Go redo your sprinkler heads and systems. Spraying all this water when only 10% actually hits the crops. Smh.

[@AllisonCahilll]

Very informative. Great summary of the current situation.

[@johncochrane1301]

Add to the fact there are 26 dams on the Colorado by the time the water reaches the Hoover. . .

[@northyland1157]

Growing cotton in the Arizona Desert... LOL

[@hbarudi]

California needs ocean water desalination, why don't big tech put such infrastructure?

[@cassiusdio6048]

Spot on, it’s a no brainer, ask the politicians why it’s not happening.

[@RK-cj4oc]

@@cassiusdio6048 Because Desalination causes huge amounts of salt that cause deadzones into the water surrounding it,killing everything if used too much.

[@keeganbrown9967]

@@RK-cj4oc Which is why you don't dump it back in the ocean. There are plenty of salt flats in California that can be used as evaporation pools.

[@seatime674]

I KNOW IT MAKES NO SENSE!!. It's like a librarian screaming "I have no books!!!"

[@patriot1303]

@@RK-cj4oc - that’s an old argument against it and isn’t how they do it. There are over 15000 desal plants worldwide and the largest one in the US is in Carlsbad Ca. They are not only environmentally friendly but actually promote and preserve the ecologically sensitive nature of that area. The briny water is diluted with fresh seawater bringing its salt content back up to acceptable levels before it is discharged - no dead zones and if that was happening the very liberal Carlsbad community would be up in arms over it - I have family that live in the area and they love it. Don’t take my word for it you should research the Carlsbad Desal plant some more for yourself it’ll be eye-opening I promise ~peace bro

[@austingipsysite]

That's the best description of what is happening that I have seen.

[@UDumFck]

Clarification question @2:35: Are there 15 dams on the Colorado River or 15 dams on the Colorado and its tributaries? I’m assuming its the latter.

[@jrobinson5661]

Its amazing how many people don’t realize how serious this is. This is not a political issue, its a humanitarian crisis in the making. I live in AZ and since purchasing our home in 2008 we have not watered any of our plants using our irrigation system. The previous owner acclimated the landscaping to survive off natural conditions and we kept it going. Lost a bush or two over the years and water maybe once or twice a year with hose during really hot spells, but other than that landscaping is doing great. Replaced grass with turf over ten years ago and love it (a benefit to turf people may not realize is less bugs…bugs love cool grass/dirt). As others have said, in the desert 🌵 you should not have grass or other water hungry landscaping. In addition, pools should be limited in size to plunge pools only, golf course #’s need to be reduced, and water limits need to be implemented when needed.

[@purplespeckledappleeater8738]

People realize how bad the issue is. The politicians don't care.

[@davsim4116]

Yes, this is a political issue. #1 Is how can this "crisis" be used to further an agenda. You have record Flooding and record Drought in a 500-mile radius of lake mead both attributed to that issue. Wich is it??? #2 No political organization wants to make the hard choices. Only so many people can live on an Island. Likewise, only so many people can live within the limits of the water usage you have. And those limits should be placed at a severe drought population. This also includes water use allocations for farming. This hard thing needs to be done. #3 Water allocations need to be distributed fairly with no political gain. I applaud your landscaping to survive off natural conditions. Shows it can be done

[@vince1638]

Why isn't anyone even discussing large scale desalinization plants to supply Californias water? Its a slam dunk on every side.

[@PhreeLark]

They are expensive and the brine water leftover is hazardous.

[@mikeomolt4485]

Better off discussing large scale depopulation and large scale removal of farms and agriculture to wherever there's a sufficient supply of water to support them. The river we see today has to be just a fraction of what it was when it created that canyon millions of years ago. . . . long before the days of green lawns and golf courses

[@vince1638]

@@mikeomolt4485 ur insane.

[@vince1638]

@@PhreeLark More expensive and dangerous than running out of water to grow crops in the S.W.? Moronic.

[@PhreeLark]

@@vince1638 No, but taxpayers and politicians are short sighted. Building a desal plant would be political suicide unless it's urgently needed like it is now.

[@VikingMale]

and Southern California regularly dumps water into the ocean.

[@pulgadascomptoncg8872]

There’s no such thing of running out of water! Water is plenty full and comes out of the ground, dig your own well and you’ll be good 👍

[@hartfischer5509]

No more administrating scarcity. It is time to develop new sources, like desalination in CA, and aqueducts from he Missouri or Oregon.

[@emt56399]

Moving water across the country is not an answer. Mismanagement is the cause. You don't give another credit card to a bankrupt person. Moving water across the country without fixing mismanagement is the same as giving a bankrupt person another credit card thinking it'll be different this time. Municipalities, companies, and people have mismanaged their water resource. Fix that and we'll see a recovery.

[@repodog6191]

You wasteful morons can just stay away for our water learn to live with in your means out there !

[@garyevans718]

The Colorado is an important river but to call it one of the largest in the United States is ridiculous. To give you an example of how wrong this video is about that, The 4th largest river......the Columbia has a flow of 273,000 cu ft per minute. The Colorado ranks # 37 and has a flow of 22,000 cu ft per minute. less than 1/12 the flow of the Columbia. It's no wonder it can be pumped dry.

[@absjones2916]

Thats goods the mighty Mississippi River, which divided the United States to East and West. And holds a very important economical activity too.

[@garyevans718]

@@absjones2916 The Columbia is 400' deep at Portland and up to 1,000 feet deep when it goes through the Cascades, even 400 miles upstream from there it is deep, wide with massive whirlpools.

[@kengoetz6231]

Any thoughts on it draining into the ground as the water table is moving?

[@brokendownoldman9547]

Remove ALL DAMS, let the rivers be rivers again. If floods happen they happen, just like before all these DAMS were built. Only then will WE see if there's a drought or not, we can always rebuild the Dams if needed.

[@chriss2295]

Colorado River can’t be the only supplier of water. Desalination is the only option. Of course CA will benefit, but other SouthWest states will need it too.

[@laurabunyard2432]

I am a resident of AZ. Arizona and Colorado have the highest contribution to the Colorado River. As far as I understand the river, for six million years the river received water from WY, CO, UT, NM, NV and AZ. Flood water flowed into CA and MEX. With dams on the river in the Colorado Plateau, a small amount of water flows around the dams into springs. Evaporation removes many acre feet of water every year. The western US in known for droughts. Agriculture needs to start growing mulch and green manure crops. And CA needs to understand I don't care how many millions of people live there. If you don't contribute, you can't get.

[@Anna-bl9ky]

We definitely need a city filled with corruption, gambling, human trafficking and hotels with giant water fountains in the middle of the desert.

[@1dilligaf]

I thought because of climate change the ice caps were melting and everything was gonna be flooded. And now the ice caps are still melting but everybody’s running out of water they were really need to get there together.

[@painmt651]

There will be pain! Conservation should have been instituted LONG AGO. It should have never been allowed to get this severe.

[@chrissmith1521]

What time in the video is the question "Why Lake Mead is Running Out of Water" answered?

[@surgen9499]

Well if Raytheon technologies weather control would stop it with the spraying . Maybe it will rain like it use to

[@jamesblake1848]

What it comes down too is those few who got Rich in the beginning and said let them worry about down the road later well it's later now . 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@thetravellingpicker5096]

This is the effects of long term cloud seeding. More snowpack, but with less water content = drought.

[@minombremiapedillo534]

In Order to Solve that Drought Problem is to Get A few Chunks of Glaciers and bring then to the Drought Area and let them Fill Up the Rivers until They are Safe....I Highly Recommend that.....

[@CHASEMARC]

stupid question - with the tech we have in fire fighting (those big ass planes that holds gallons of water) why can't we take a few of those planes go to the north pole fill them up with the large chunks of ice that is breaking off the glaciers fly them back to lake mead and fill it up?

[@kingofrivia1248]

There are a lot of things that could be done. Like covering the channels with solar panels therefore reducing evaporation massively.

[@cbpd89]

The easiest place to apply pressure and reduce water use is on residential use. You can shorten secondary water season and impose limits and fines for watering, and ban new landscaping that isn't drought tolerant. But with more than 70% of water being used for agriculture, that just ain't gonna cut it. It might be time to say to farmers that growing water intensive crops like alfalfa will need to be limited in favor of less thirsty plants. It would also probably be possible to update the watering methods so there is less water lost to evaporation.

[@nerfherder4284]

Americans waste about 30-40% of the food we grow, perhaps that is a good place to start. 30-40% of 70% is significant.

[@CamAlert2]

Half the food we produce is exported. Cutting back on water-intensive crops won't be the end of the world.

[@Forbidaxe]

I swear to God, if anyone mentions swimming pools... Think.... When you empty a pool, where will the water end up... Eventually back in the river systems damnit.

[@curtbonnell4308]

Building cities in deserts, with just about every home having a swimming pool, might be a MAJOR cause of this current situation. It's more important to have drinking water & food to eat. I wonder how much water Las Vegas uses in a single day?

[@zachh3582]

If you don't store water in excessive times you get this. Happened in Idaho. We had a judge force Dworshack to release water. Guess what two or three years in a row we ran low on water. The reservoir isn't purposed for irrigation. The Dam is serviced for electricity and flood control. Little know fact Dworshack is not Hoover big but close.

[@MeanGeneSanDiego]

👎👎🤪🤪🤔🤔😣😣

[@PeterJPickles]

Drinking game, take a shot every time he says Colorado River, good luck :)

[@erichaynes7502]

IF these states cut their use by 4 MAF then yes, the reservoir will start to fill back up.

[@fredchung9300]

How about covering the canals with solar panels. Try it in small scale first. These areas have sun most days of the year. There is a lot of evaporation going on probably

[@tobiasschobitz7220]

We need to start trucking Salt water up towards grand lake and set up a desalination plant up there and sell the sand a ice melt.

[@CallMeThyme]

I have an idea. You should have some music in The backround. Not that loud just like slight music in The bacround