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The Colorado River and the High Plains Aquifer are drying up.

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posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:01 AM
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May 25, 2013 – COLORADO - What is life going to look like as our precious water resources become increasingly strained and the western half of the United States becomes bone dry? Scientists tell us that the 20th century was the wettest century in the western half of the country in 1000 years, and now things appear to be reverting to their normal historical patterns. But we have built teeming cities in the desert such as Phoenix and Las Vegas that support millions of people. Cities all over the Southwest continue to grow even as the Colorado River, Lake Mead and the High Plains Aquifer system run dry. So what are we going to do when there isn’t enough water to irrigate our crops or run through our water systems?

More:
theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com...



_____________________________

Many of the people who will be forced to move will have to come eastward. Two things that should see upward trends are 1)land prices in the middle US, 2) stock in companies that can convert sea-water to fresh-water.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:10 AM
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That's Lake Mead....

I just drove over the Co. river yesterday... Didn't look low to me.


edit on 26-5-2013 by Blarneystoner because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:15 AM
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Originally posted by Blarneystoner
That's Lake Mead....

I just drove over the Co. river yesterday... Didn't look low to me.


edit on 26-5-2013 by Blarneystoner because: (no reason given)


The water level at Lake Mead is exactly 100 feet lower at this moment than in Dec 1987.

www.usbr.gov...



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:18 AM
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i drive past the Colorado river regularly and always check it out - has been full and flowing for the most part - maybe a few years back it was a tad low - but last year it was nice and high.
here's a problem from the eco freaks - get rid of all dams - well that might make a few (million) folks thirsty.

whiskey is fer drinkin - waters fer fightin.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:25 AM
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Originally posted by jibajaba
i drive past the Colorado river regularly and always check it out - has been full and flowing for the most part - maybe a few years back it was a tad low - but last year it was nice and high.
here's a problem from the eco freaks - get rid of all dams - well that might make a few (million) folks thirsty.

whiskey is fer drinkin - waters fer fightin.


The river could certainly look normal at times, particularly with the Spring run-off if you're above the Lake. The Lake Levels are clearly dropping drastically. "Today, Lake Mead supplies approximately 85 percent of the water that Las Vegas uses, and since 1998 the water level in Lake Mead has dropped by about 5.6 trillion gallons".

______________________

Here's an article on the problems with the High Plains Aquifer:
www.nytimes.com...
edit on 26-5-2013 by MuzzleBreak because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:32 AM
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Originally posted by Blarneystoner
That's Lake Mead....

I just drove over the Co. river yesterday... Didn't look low to me.


edit on 26-5-2013 by Blarneystoner because: (no reason given)


It usually doesn't look low during spring runoff months.

The DURATION of the spring runoff is a key issue. That depends on the amount of the snow-pack in the Rocky Mountains. The number of high temperature days how early in the summer also makes a difference in how long the rivers look filled with water during the summer.

Basically, most of those of us downstream in the Colorado system . . . be hurtin--either already or before long.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:41 AM
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Originally posted by jibajaba
i drive past the Colorado river regularly and always check it out - has been full and flowing for the most part - maybe a few years back it was a tad low - but last year it was nice and high.
here's a problem from the eco freaks - get rid of all dams - well that might make a few (million) folks thirsty.

whiskey is fer drinkin - waters fer fightin.

Wow.. What Hoover Dam are you crossing? Last year had good water levels,eh??

The Drought at Hoover Dam in Pictures

See the white rock? That is historically submerged area that is currently showing. It's impossible to miss if you have *REALLY* driven over Hoover on a regular basis. Of course, I don't know that someone driving over the new Bypass bridge would even see Lake Meade that well...so maybe that's how you missed the record low levels.

Hoover Dam Intake Towers

The Photo at the top shows a 1999 view when water actually WAS almost full at the dam. I recall seeing that myself from the truck. My company thought it would be cute to have me over that pile of concrete a half dozen times in a week of being laid over in the Vegas area.

The photo at the bottom is of 2004 where the Lake Level is 85 feet below normal. As the OP says, it's 100 feet below normal levels now. So, add 15 feet to the crisis level that shows.

For those requiring a fixed number to what bad is? This last link shows "full" Lake Meade water elevation vs. what it's at today.

Lake Meade Water Levels


Good catch OP and something we all need to pay attention to. If some of the states best situated for it, don't start using desalinization technology? They ought to be cut off from draining rivers dry and killing our environment to save the effort of building it. Hoover Dam is one of the best visual examples in the world today.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:41 AM
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God hates the southwestern USA...so he's making the water go away


eta
there is a 5 hundred year water cycle in that part of the world, and the wettest 50 years, the only wet enough years, are just past.
Now it's downhill for the next 2 hundred years or so, then up hill for the 2 hundred years after that...

just ask the Anastazi
edit on 26-5-2013 by Danbones because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 09:56 AM
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reply to post by MuzzleBreak
 


S&F



From my observations as a fly fishing guide and outfitter in the Rockies....

The West is drying up. All but a few rivers are showing a decreased flow.

ens-newswire.com...

My home water the San Juan is at 287 cfs. Way down for this time of year.
www.sanjuanriver.com...



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 10:28 AM
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Keep an eye out for how many chemicals the water authorities are pumping into your supplies.
During our recent 10 year dought down here one of Australia's major river systems failed to reach the sea outlet.
Vast lakes dried up and turned into grassy fields. Our state government pumped an extra 50,000 tonnes of chemicals into our water supply yearly just to make it palatable for about 1.4 million people. Now the drought has broken, the river and it's lakes are flowing but it is still a critical situation there. The quality of your water declines faster as the water levels go down. I hope it does'nt last to long for you guys.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 10:32 AM
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reply to post by MuzzleBreak
 


I hope this day comes up quickly actually.

We have the ability to provide the nation all the fresh water it needs by building desalination plants and piping the water to every corner of the country.

For the price of the Iraq war we could have solved this problem so since the politicians are not going to do it on their own, we simply need to run out of water to force them to do it.
edit on 26-5-2013 by Hopechest because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 10:32 AM
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Southeast New Mexico, and a vast area besides, has been in drought almost since my wife and I moved here in July of 2010. Rain and snow are scarce, the place is dusty, my wife has already had dust pneumonia, and trees are dying. The desert seems to be unaffected...



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 10:50 AM
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Originally posted by MuzzleBreak
...Many of the people who will be forced to move will have to come eastward. Two things that should see upward trends are 1)land prices in the middle US, 2) stock in companies that can convert sea-water to fresh-water.

Thanks for bringing a critical matter to light!

I lived in NE Colorado for about 8 years. Near the end of my stay, I was introduced to another side of the coin you're discussing --- which suggests that your 1st upward trend will have to be further defined (limited) in scope.
The Ogallala Aquifer is being drained at unprecedented rates...and drying up so that the farmers and populations that have provided the heartland crops through the 20th Century may be gone in the next decade or two.

(Pic' taken from en.wikipedia.org... )

My children went to school with those who'd been born there. Driving to their houses (farms), we would travel through many dips/draws, all replete with possible-water-crossing-the-road warning signs. But in the years I drove those roads, I never say any water - close. There was, in fact, one "bridge" that we would cross, with a name-place sign, giving the name of a creek. When I became involved with those concerned about the Ogallala Aquifer, I was told that the a particular river (a significant tributary that passed through his hometown further east) within the last 20 years, had lost many miles (between 30 & 45 - I don't recall the exact figure) of its headwaters...specifically naming the "creek" I passed over.
I asked some of the classmates of my children "how long" it had been since they'd seen water in that creek. They said that the last time they recalled, would have been when they (my daughter's friend) was a toddler - and she only remembered that by pictures in the family album.
Could go further - but - what happened is -
1. Water on demand
2. "Who owns the surface - owns the water under it - and can make a fortune...selling it to cities...like Dallas'.

So - yeah - someone owns farmland...with some good water wells...and is willing to sell the same water that all the communities and other farms in the area rely on for survival...to the cities...for one reason only - greed.
True - that is a debatable statement -- but, ultimately -- whether it is for money, their alma mater's well being, the medical center that's trying to find a cure (!?!?!) for a disease of particular interest to said farmer, or even to "hopefully get on God's good side before I die" -- they sold the water to attain their own objective/s.

If masses will be exiting the West & Great Southwest...for the Mid-States, Gulf States and the East - Water will probably become an issue there too.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 10:56 AM
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I just thought I might add a bit more material I have together from a thread I almost did but never got around to. It might shed even more light on the OP topic and the reasons behind it. We are in serious trouble...and maybe this is why they bask in scandal and keep a man-made crisis mode running 24/7 these days. The Natural world has a couple realities we need to warm up to, which are worse...and they are natural. Cyclical.We aren't to the really bad parts yet, if it's a full repeat.

Oh the joys (not) of natural cycles and the short sighted wishful thinking of leaders who choose to ignore them. It can be forgiven the public not knowing about these things. The people making the decisions are educated and often in areas with focus on where this data comes from, though. No excuses....and indeed...The Colorado River isn't likely to get much better, real soon.



and in more detail, what the Dust Bowl looked like on modern charts..



Compared to now....



and recently...



vs...before the current cycle began to repeat from the past clear ones.



The most recent one brings some relief for us in Missouri it seems...but the West? Still in bad shape for the forseeable future.



Of course, USDA still has 949 counties in official primary drought status from low to exceptional

USDA Secretarial Drought Designations Map (May, 2013)



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 11:18 AM
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Originally posted by Hopechest
...I hope this day comes up quickly actually.
...We have the ability to provide the nation all the fresh water it needs by building desalination plants and piping the water to every corner of the country.
...For the price of the Iraq war we could have solved this problem so since the politicians are not going to do it on their own, we simply need to run out of water to force them to do it.

Oh YUM!
Have you ever tasted this water?
I have not.
I know that 'they' have been working on getting a desalination plant 'out here'...where so much briny water is pulled out of the ground (for re-use)...but seems that the cost-factor is still a huge question.

If they're going to desalinate ocean water - do you know if the process accounts for the many other harmful (life-threatening?) 'additives' found therein?
Or is it -
Step 1: Desalinate;
Step 2: Add Chlorine & Fluoride; and
Step 3: It's good for YOU to drink...but NOT ME OR MINE...
?



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 11:31 AM
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reply to post by MuzzleBreak
 


The water levels have been directly connected to the snowfall. If the problem isn't eased or eliminated by this past winters snow, then ring the bell.
As far as the last century being the wettest on record, states all over the Midwest, upper midwest and northwest smashed all-time records over this last winter.
edit on 26-5-2013 by GoldenRuled because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 11:34 AM
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It's kind of ironic about desalination. The people who have developed and mainstreaemed the technology are the same people the West sent the tech to for extracting oil. So....Tech given one way for energy with tech flowing back for life giving water without killing overland and aquifer supplies.



One Saudi Desalination Process Covered

The US is uniquely positioned from most to do this too. We have VERY deep water drop offs to get to extremely deep, older and clean water a short distance off shore on at least two coasts. Why our coastal states even need to drain rivers and draw down lakes is beyond me in an era where this technology is so successfully used elsewhere.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 11:41 AM
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The water needs of El Paso, Texas, are in large part supported by the desalination plant we have here.

Link to info page

El Paso is a desert community and the Rio Grande isn't flowing like it used to, if at all in many areas. Pull up Google Earth and look at how dry the Rio Grande was in 2012, and note it is much drier than that, currently.

If you have the luxury of having your own well, fine and dandy. But to preach about what you will and will not drink, is foolishness. Not to mention likely a misnomer, as the same water that is in the city system is also in your cola's, beers, foods and the like. Did you go to the movies recently & have a soda? Where do you think that water came from? Where was your beer made, and what water supply did they use? Have you made a can of soup lately?

If there is water in any product you eat, drink and so on, and it says water on the label, it's not going to say, Water( May include chlorine, fluoride, trace minerals and heavy metals.) It is just going to say, WATER.

So for all of anyone posturing on not drinking the 'fluoridated water or chlorinated water', you can now pat them on the head and say, "that's nice dear" in a Church lady voice. Because evidently they are just fooling themselves, and have not bothered to do a single bit of research.

M.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 11:44 AM
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Originally posted by WanDash

Originally posted by Hopechest
...I hope this day comes up quickly actually.
...We have the ability to provide the nation all the fresh water it needs by building desalination plants and piping the water to every corner of the country.
...For the price of the Iraq war we could have solved this problem so since the politicians are not going to do it on their own, we simply need to run out of water to force them to do it.

Oh YUM!
Have you ever tasted this water?
I have not.
I know that 'they' have been working on getting a desalination plant 'out here'...where so much briny water is pulled out of the ground (for re-use)...but seems that the cost-factor is still a huge question.

If they're going to desalinate ocean water - do you know if the process accounts for the many other harmful (life-threatening?) 'additives' found therein?
Or is it -
Step 1: Desalinate;
Step 2: Add Chlorine & Fluoride; and
Step 3: It's good for YOU to drink...but NOT ME OR MINE...
?


I believe Saudi Arabia gets almost 70% of their water from these plants.

Hasn't been any issues.

My father has a solar powered one on his sailboat and although it doesn't produce as much as a chemical one, the water is absolutely delicious...straight from the ocean.

The costs are extremely high but so is our defense budget and our social programs. Cut those and we have more than enough money.



posted on May, 26 2013 @ 12:00 PM
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Originally posted by Hopechest
reply to post by MuzzleBreak
 


I hope this day comes up quickly actually.

We have the ability to provide the nation all the fresh water it needs by building desalination plants and piping the water to every corner of the country.


Desalinization is incredibly expensive. It sounds like a great idea until you see you water bill. Las Vegas uses 300 gallons of water per day per person in the city limits. This is due in part to water features, Hotel pools and lawns. The Vegas business owners are getting filthy rich wasting our water......

Oh well. the world is changing and it is changing rapidly. I am glad to be almost 48 years old now as I won't enjoy the world we will all be living in come another 20 years.




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