The Western USA is in a terrible drought and not just the Colorado River System

We needed to make the drive to Jackson as we had a prescription to pick up. Crossing the Snake River at Alpine the river wasn’t its usual pristine self but instead was a reddish brown color from mud. We had heard that there had been a mudslide up the Hoback River and as we neared the tributary with the Hoback we could see where the Hoback River poured into the Snake. The Hoback looked like it was half mud and it didn’t take long for it to mix and discolor the clear water of the Snake. We also noted that the Snake River banks were full. That’s because the Bureau of Reclamation was dumping most of the water from Jackson Lake into the river. The reason for this is the drought. Almost all of the water, in Jackson Lake was claimed long ago by agricultural users in Idaho. In fact, the plan is to move the water from the lake, about 95%, so that by this fall Jackson Lake will only contain about five percent of it’s water. Water rights out west are complicated but the claim to the water was made by the farmers in Idaho and the law states that the first one to claim the water has the right to the water in perpetuity. Yup, forever!

THE LAKE WHEN FULL HAS ABOUT 833,00 ACRE FEET WHEN FULL! That will leave about 50,000 acre feet in the Lake, (an acre foot is enough water to cover one acre of land with one foot of water). Some of the downstream water will hopefully keep the Palisade’s Reservoir with enough water to power its generators. If not our electricity rate will jump much higher! We are currently paying about ten cents per KW, (it was 4 cents) because our power is from cheap hydro power. This will force us to buy much more expensive power from the grid. As bad as it seems imagine what is happening to the states along the Colorado River make our problems pale in comparision. If Lake Mead and Lake Powell reaches dead pool,(estimated as early as December of this year), Las Vegas, Phoenix, Much of Arizona, the Imperial Valley, and much of California will lose their water and electricity from Lake Hoover and Lake Mead, (This includes the Mexico portion of the Colorado, which Mexico is also entitled to by law). The Imperial Valley will also lose the water needed to grow winter produce. That’s where 95% of the winter produce comes from….Pray for rain and snow. Cloudy skies, Mark and Renita According to Jaclson Hole news and Guide, Right now the Bureau of Reclaimation is releasing about 5000 cubic feet per second so the river is higher than normal. This Fall the plan is to release only abot 250 cubic feet per second and currently the flow is being reduced to 280 cubic fete per second.