Lake Mead levels are now at 37 percent capacity.

[roamer65]

Interesting article on the drought in the West and it’s impact on Lake Mead.

https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/05/27/hoover-dam-drought-water-levels-lake-mead/5134031001/

[hatrack]

1. Yeah, Powell's at a hair over 34"

Going to be an interesting summer.

[roamer65]

2. Read another article that Powell is 73 feet away from hydroelectric shutoff.

Lake Mead can’t be much further behind.

[hatrack]

3. It's not even that far away - 73 feet is the bottom of the penstock intakes

But they'd have to stop generation before that.

Without sufficient water pressure bearing down from above, it's too easy to entrain air bubbles in the flow entering the powerhouse. Turbines don't do well if there's air in the mix.

[bahboo]

4. run out of water, and the shit gets real...

[marble falls]

5. Even with normal rain and snow melt a lot of these western lakes never really filled. I've read ...

... Lake Powell had reached a point where percolation into the surrounding stone and evaporation guaranteed that the lake would hardly ever be at 100%.