# What do you think will happen when the water level at Lake Mead falls below 1050 feet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 11, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201 "2021-11-11T18:07:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2022, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/141 "2022-05-04T00:04:56Z")
After Googling, API (medium grade products) is made from evaporated sea water. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/142 "2022-05-04T00:14:13Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > But America is an innovative place. Maybe some smart folks will figure out something. This is the place that couldn’t wear masks during a pandemic. Don’t expect too much from us. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2022, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/143 "2022-05-04T00:27:44Z")
Well, not all of you… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/144 "2022-05-04T02:06:27Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > America is an innovative place. Maybe some smart folks will figure out something. What we’ve innovated so far has damaged water resources all over the place. Occasionally we manage to think ourselves out of some mess we thunk ourselves into. But often our bright innovative solutions turn out to be problems of their own. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/145 "2022-05-05T22:38:36Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Just recently the two power companies in AZ warned that starting next year they may not have enough power generating capacity and we may get brownouts. That announcement came the day after Douchy signed a bill banning other energy companies from coming to AZ. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/146 "2022-05-05T22:47:40Z")
> [@JaneDoe42](#): > > […] Douchy signed a bill banning other energy companies from coming to AZ. Usually these kinds of bills are not just random things, but rather a response to some threat. So what company is this bill aimed at? Who’s threatening to take part of the AZ power market? ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/147 "2022-05-05T22:49:28Z")
There are a lot of new solar and wind power generating companies who were trying to move in. We don’t need no stinking clean energy when we have gas and oil to burn! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/148 "2022-05-05T22:50:24Z")
That’s what I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2022, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/149 "2022-05-05T23:09:00Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I don’t know where pretzel factories are concentrated. Maybe Milwaukee? Time they moved to Nevada. Local Milwaukeeans would be very disappointed to lose their source of [good Bavarian pretzels](https://www.milwaukeepretzel.com/), etc. Their pretzel buns are delicious. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/150 "2022-05-06T19:58:48Z")
I cannot find a post that mentions how much water is required for almonds. I wonder how someone arrived at that number. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/151 "2022-05-06T21:04:01Z")
This article (not shilling for the industry) discusses water needs by the top water-consuming crops in California… > **[Which California crops use the most water?](https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/specialsections/these-are-the-california-crops-that-use-the-most-water/)** > > When discussing the drought, the question of which crops use the most water comes up a lot. Here are the top 10 most water-intensive crops. _1. Pasture (clover, rye, bermuda and other grasses), 4.92 acre feet per acre_ _2. Almonds and pistachios, 4.49 acre feet per acre_ _3. Alfalfa, 4.48 acre feet per acre_ _4. Citrus and subtropical fruits (grapefruit, lemons, oranges, dates, avocados, olives, jojoba), 4.23 acre feet per acre_ _5. Sugar beets, 3.89 acre feet per acre_ _6. Other deciduous fruits (applies, apricots, walnuts, cherries, peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, prunes, figs, kiwis), 3.7 acre feet per acre_ _7. Cotton, 3.67 acre feet per acre_ _8. Onions and garlic, 2.96 acre feet per acre_ _9. Potatoes, 2.9 acre feet per acre_ _10. Vineyards (table, raisin and wine grapes), 2.85 acre feet per acre_ _Many people also question how much water cannabis takes to grow. The Department of Water Resources didn’t track water usage for cannabis in its 2015 data, but [The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/26/forget-almonds-look-at-how-much-water-californias-pot-growers-use/) reported in 2015 that the crop uses 1.4 acre feet per acre._ ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2022, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/152 "2022-05-06T21:35:12Z")
I’m trying to find the water needs of crops per yield but not having any luck. All the sources say that the tree nuts are pretty much the highest dollar/gallon. Interesting that pasture takes so much water–pasture and alfalfa of course pretty much only go to feed stock. California beef and lamb is using a LOT of water. It would be an interesting exercise to try to figure out what crop is the ideal use of irrigation water in a given climate, dollars-wise as well as nutritionally. I could imagine, given the invisible hand of the market (-externalities and subsidies), that we’re not far off right now. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/153 "2022-05-07T01:37:41Z")
The post I search for said several quarts of water for a single almond. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/154 "2022-05-07T01:40:51Z")
Oil is pumped for long distances, how difficult would it be to pump ocean water to an area like the salt flats or a borax mine where the salt residue could be disposed of? Could a very saline mix be pumped away from the distillation plant to a disposal area? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/155 "2022-05-07T02:25:54Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > According to the USGS, California uses around 38 billion gallons per day. I realize California is not the CO river basin, but I’ll use that number as a rough approximation of Southern CA, Phoenix, Las Vegas, etc. According to Google, 40 million people live in the CO river basin. The population of CA is about 39.5 million, so it’s roughly equal. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > Tens of millions of people rely on the Great Lakes and the water in their watersheds already. If we pipe it all off, then in a couple decades, the Great Lakes will be drained to unsustainable levels, Surprisingly enough it looks like you wouldn’t need to draw unsustainable fossil water from the lakes in order to get that magnitude of water. Using the Niagara River as a proxy for the Great Lakes watershed, it carries 300 _billion_ gallons of water a day. More than enough to skim 38 billion from somewhere and not contribute to a widespread ecological disaster. (It could be a more localized disaster, though, depending on where you are drawing that water from.) Which isn’t to say that the project is feasible. Rather than creating an unprecedented pipeline using untold amounts of resources, it would be much more feasible to simply build and grow stuff elsewhere. (A second large downside would also be the precedent it would set: who would be the next customer to want to skim off another 30 billion?) ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/156 "2022-05-07T03:17:24Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The post I search for said several quarts of water for a single almond. There are a few online references, but generally they align to about a gallon of water per almond. [Here is one reference](https://www.businessinsider.com/amount-of-water-needed-to-grow-one-almond-orange-tomato-2015-4?op=1). > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Oil is pumped for long distances, how difficult would it be to pump ocean water to an area like the salt flats or a borax mine where the salt residue could be disposed of? > Could a very saline mix be pumped away from the distillation plant to a disposal area? If you are going through all the trouble and expense to deal with the salt water and salt waste disposal, you may as well just pump fresh water from one side of the Great Divide to the other. In either case there will be huge mountains of red tape to clear. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/157 "2022-05-07T03:44:44Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > If you are going through all the trouble and expense to deal with the salt water and salt waste disposal, you may as well just pump fresh water from one side of the Great Divide to the other. In either case there will be huge mountains of red tape to clear. Sorry, I’m lost in this conversation. Are we discussing desalinating seawater right beside the ocean? Why wouldn’t that salt just be washed back into the ocean? I understand you can’t concentrate the waste product in just one place all at once but there should be plenty of time let it disperse over a larger area. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/158 "2022-05-07T03:53:10Z")
The poster mentioned salt flats and borax mines. I assumed they were thinking Death Valley or other desert salt flats, which are no where near the ocean and would require extensive pumping of seawater hundreds of miles. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/159 "2022-05-07T10:56:08Z")
I noticed a recent report of a new way to desalinate water: > **[From seawater to drinking water, with the push of a button](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220428152229.htm)** > > Researchers created a portable desalination unit that can remove particles and salts simultaneously to generate drinking water. The user-friendly unit, which weighs less than 10 kilograms and does not require filters, can be powered by a small,... > [@](#): > > The resulting water exceeded World Health Organization quality guidelines, and the unit reduced the amount of suspended solids by at least a factor of 10. Their prototype generates drinking water at a rate of 0.3 liters per hour, and requires only 20 watts of power per liter. Increasing its size to something that would produce enough for a small town would probably be a challenge, And of course, you still have the salt disposal issue. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2022, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201/160 "2022-05-07T11:36:20Z")
Thanks, snowthx. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-will-happen-when-the-water-level-at-lake-mead-falls-below-1050-feet/954201.md?page=9)