World of Change: Water Level in Lake Powell

The 21st century has not been kind to the water levels in Lake Powell.

This series of images, taken by NASA’s Landsat satellites from 1999 to 2015, document the change.

LINK (via: Gizmodo)

Meanwhile further downstream.

Lake Mead is just six inces from the level that triggers cutbacks in deliveries for the three lower basin states – Arizona, Nevada and California.

LINK (via:High Country News)

Who Owns the Water

Georgia, Alabama and Florida are locked in an epic battle over the fresh water from their once bountiful rivers.

They call it the "Water Wars." It's a conflict once unthinkable in the deep green South.

But is it all about high-stakes politics and legal action?

Two brothers decide to find out more. David and Michael Hanson paddle the three rivers for 30 days to ask the big questions, at water-level.

From the North Georgia Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico, everyone wants to know Who Owns Water.

California Water Wars

Instead of a peripheral canal, California Governor Jerry Brown and the US Government have announced plans to build a pair of peripheral tunnels.

Under the plan, two huge, side-by-side underground tunnels would carry fresh water 37 miles from the Sacramento River under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, to giant federal and state pumps at Tracy. The tunnels, each larger than 33 feet in diameter — would have the capacity to divert about 67,500 gallons of water a second, a pace that would fill six Olympic-sized swimming pools every minute.

The project construction cost alone would be 14 billion dollars.

The usual water sucking interests are thrilled with the plan while delta residents, environmental groups and Northern California legislators say the tunnels could severely damage the delta ecosystem and agriculture-based economy.

LINK (via: The Washington Post)