Hoover Dam, USA (September 2022)

September 4th, 2022: The most jarring thing to realize is that less than 40 years ago, this reservoir was over capacity, filled to the brim, and sending raging torrents of whitewater down the spillways. The water was as high as the walkways to the intake towers — only a few feet below the road at the top of the dam — and all the light-colored rock you see was underwater. Boat launches, parking lots, and residential neighborhoods flooded upstream. Since then, an extended period of drought has limited inflows to the Colorado River. (Outflows are coordinated by the US Bureau of Reclamation.) This reservoir is a shrivel of its former self.

#roamingbenji #coloradoriver #lakemead #drought #nevada #arizona #dam

[kevinrayner]

I remember taking that tour in 1993 when I first moved to Vegas 😲...the water was a little below the spillway...

[RP-puur]

it's so cool to see the water down there, it will rise again one day until then seeing record lows is it's own form of history as well.

[rodrudinger]

On a side issue, and considering the flooding and landslides in California, right now; I have a suggestion for Governor Newsom:

Mats, of varying thicknesses, and sizes; could be placed on California's most vulnerable mountainsides; and seeded with native grasses, trees, etc. This would hold the soil, the mats could be made of organic materials, and feed the grasses, shrubs, and trees; as they rot, but allow the grasses and trees to establish a root system, to hold the soil. The State, and Forest Service; should also do planned "burns" in various areas, in forests; to "clear out" dead timber, and "blowdown"; in a controlled way; as well as clearing Utility Rights-of-Way. This could be implemented by a "CCC" type program, using High School Students, "Dropouts", Honor Camp Inmates, Forest Service Workers; and Unemployed Lumberworkers; and machinery; to do the work. This would be considerably cheaper, in the long run; rather than cleaning up, repairing, and replacing; after a disaster. Additional reservoirs could also be built; and Hetch Hetchy Valley, restored.

[cyrbuzz]

How was the dam tour? Did cousin Eddie ever get his dam bait? Looks like a dam good time. Dam shame about the water levels.

[globaleye]

We were at the dam in about 2004, did the tour etc - the people in charge said they were completely unperturbed regarding the record lows even then, maybe a different story nearly 20 years later ?

[rodrudinger]

Maybe this is a good time, for the Bureau of Reclamation to do Maintenance Work, and begin "tearing out" Glen Canyon Dam. Hopefully, they are also beginning to look for dam sites, on the Upper Colorado, and The Green Rivers, and their tributaries, for additional capacity, and to replace Lake Powell. They should also be building a gravity system, for The Central Arizona Project. Why they didn't do this, in the beginning; is beyond me.