Lake Mead low water levels

Quote: missedhervee

We have more water than we need here in Portland; come up and pump some out of the Columbia, yours for the taking.

If they built the intake down by Astoria at the coast, the pipe could just be laid underwater and save crossing the Siskiyou mountain range, or other expensive row.

There is only one way I can posit to make it work, due to concerns about maintaining adequate water flow year-round for navigation and salmon protection.

Build a massive pumping system to send water to holding reservoirs in the SW where feasible, but only pump water out of the Columbia during times of higher than normal water flow; basically skim off the excess.

Quote: AZDuffman

Way back in the 80s I remember a story of how the southwestern states wanted to tap the Great Lakes for water. Of course the Great Lakes States said no way.

that could be the problem generally with these ideas

Forget asking the Pac NW states for permission: that's been tried before and went nowhere.

No, it needs to be a Federal Project, akin to TVA, with no ability for the states to block it.

Quote: missedhervee

Forget asking the Pac NW states for permission: that's been tried before and went nowhere.

No, it needs to be a Federal Project, akin to TVA, with no ability for the states to block it.

The southwest needs to solve their own water problem not try to drain water from other parts of the USA. CA needs to build desalination plants in a big way.

Why?

We are awash with excess water here in the Pac NW, at least during times of high water, which is not really uncommon.

Come and get it.

Quote: missedhervee

Why?

We are awash with excess water here in the Pac NW, at least during times of high water, which is not really uncommon.

Come and get it.

Because once they start draining it you will no longer have enough.

I'm not a hydrologist so "shooting from the hip" I have to question that conclusion.

I propose drawing water from the Columbia and pumping it south ONLY during times of higher than necessary water flow.

How could that possibly hurt?

Quote: AZDuffman

CA needs to build desalination plants in a big way.

For the people there where doubling their water bill would only be something to gripe about, that wouldn’t be a problem.

Better than having housing or rent double.

Quote: rxwine

For the people there where doubling their water bill would only be something to gripe about, that wouldn’t be a problem.

Better than having housing or rent double.

It is not so much the residential as it is the agriculture in CA at least.