Chris Rowan

As the level of Lake Powell behind the Glen Canyon dam get dangerously low, this excellent piece (with some spectacular photos) explores what is being revealed, what was lost when the reservoir was filled, and the uncertainty over what is to come.

Is there any precedent for a river basically becoming completely disconnected from its downstream reaches by a dam with stranded intakes?

https://www.hcn.org/issues/55.2/features-water-glen-canyon-revealed

Glen Canyon revealed

What comes next for Lake Powell?

Mar 8, 2023 at 7:08pmWeb
Show threadChris RowanMar 8, 2023
The water crisis in the southwestern US is the whole climate crisis in a microcosm: unrealistic assumptions about perpetual abundance producing a whole infrastructure locked into those assumptions, which is now breaking as it is put under more and more stress. And a complete failure to adapt due to the dominance of short-term self-interest.
Show threadChris RowanMar 8, 2023
I have, on and off, been reading the Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi, which is a near future dystopia set in a water-starved Arizona/Nevada. On because it is pretty compelling, off because it is really depressing how it seems more prophetic now than when it was published.
Show threadcobalt going beige todayMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous just ordered this on your recommendation and another comment this thread. Here in Arizona 19 years the major attitude I’ve seen through this state is “short term profit”. So little concern for ecology and environment here.
Show threadPauline von HellermannMar 8, 2023

@cobalt @allochthonous The Water knife sounds intriguing, i must read it. i am sure you have seen this article
on the #Arizona #Drought and #WaterShortages already but just in case. If you feel like it do share your own experiences with our #ClimateDiary hashtag

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/rio-verde-water-access-1.6749754

A brutal drought in the U.S. southwest has triggered a water feud | CBC News

A brutal drought has triggered a water feud in the U.S. southwest. A wealthy suburb of Phoenix was cut off its water access. Residents here warn: This is not a local story. You, too, Canada, are connected to this region.

CBC
Show threadcobalt going beige todayMar 8, 2023
@pvonhellermannn @allochthonous I read everything I can about water shortages in the Southwest and ironically some of the best articles are by The Guardian! Since I traveled the whole state as part of my job for ten years, I’ve been very aware for years now of the ongoing crisis people here do not seem to be addressing realistically.
Show threadMark Ingalls Mar 9, 2023

@pvonhellermannn @cobalt @allochthonous The mentality that many in the Southwest have, that government pooling resources and enacting reasonable water use restrictions is evil, is doing more to fuel the water crisis there than climate change in my opinion.

This quote from the article is a good one: “Some residents want to preserve that libertarian culture and fumed at Nabity for pushing to create a public body, a so-called water district.”

Show threadStephanie JaneMar 8, 2023

@allochthonous I'll look out for that one. I only recently discovered Bacigalupi through his involvement in the No More Fairy Tales climate fiction anthology which was a thought-provoking read.

A review here if you're curious https://ko-fi.com/post/192-RRR-review-No-More-Fairy-Tales-Stories-to-Sa-R6R5GU2FJ

No More Fairy Tales: Stories to Save the Planet

Stephanie Jane published a post on Ko-fi

Ko-fi
Show threadSane ThinkerMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous Still enough water for lithium mining, apparently. Insert sarcastic snort here. https://geoffreydeihl.substack.com/p/showdown-at-thacker-pass
Showdown at Thacker Pass

Lithium: New Resource, Same Old Story

Sane Thoughts for Insane Times
Show threadLuis VillaMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous you’ll catch a reference in there to reading “the classics” like … John Fleck, who you should follow here if you’re interested in water and scicomms (if you don’t already): @jfleck
Show threadBrian VastagMar 9, 2023
@allochthonous I appreciated the speculative fiction of it but it was too gratuitously violent for me.
Show threadSane ThinkerMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous The entire region is teetering on economic and social collapse, IMO. Possibly a year or two away with the failure of the Glen Canyon dam at Lake Powell.
Show threadRealGravitas -Citizen SaboteurMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous Exactly. In essence we are ‘adapting’ to the most abundant years, and then cry bloody hell when nature doesn’t provide at that level all the time.
Show threadCitizencatMar 9, 2023
@allochthonous
Indigenous and Hispanic people who have lived here for 500 years understand the importance of water, but most newcomers to New Mexico don't.
@DoomsdaysCW
Show threadCelloMom On CarsMar 9, 2023

@allochthonous

The #ClimateCrisis does tend to come as the last straw, put on top of an already unrealistic load. Or that little extra push on a system that's already hanging over the edge. The US Southwest is an obvious example, but there are so many other places that live like that.

We urgently need to learn to respect the places where we live: their particular geography, their balance, the web of life that they support, all that. And learn to live there for a long time, not just for today

Show threadPNW DebMar 10, 2023
@allochthonous I still have friends moving there because of the warmer weather. I hope they’ve saved enough in their retirement funds to pay for water…
Show threadWeird Mustard (offline)Mar 8, 2023
@allochthonous What an awesome read.
Show threadShield MaidenMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous What a great article...so many questions, problems yet so much beauty being restored.
Show threadChris RowanMar 8, 2023
@Judeet88 Agreed!
Show threadAlexey MerzMar 8, 2023

@allochthonous

Let's not be lulled into using fundamentally inaccurate terminology, regardless of what USGS says. It's not a lake. It's Powell Reservoir.

(And even then, the irony of naming the thing after Powell is just overwhelming.)

Show threadChris RowanMar 8, 2023

@merz on the other hand, I do like people to know what I’m talking about…

(this issue is actually raised in the article, and I did use reservoir later in the post).

Show threadMattMar 8, 2023
@allochthonous Thank you for sharing this -- I read the entire article and found it is both very beautiful and very sad.