Shasta Lake Relics Uncovered

[Jamo]

Actually, LA draws no water from Lake Meade.

The draw is downriver at Parker Dam. The other major source is, of course, the Owens Valley of Chinatown fame.

[Cobrabill]

Ron-any pics of the SP tunnels & bridges?

[Ron61]

Jamo,

Sorry my mistake. But I am not wrong about this. Just where are they going to get the water from up here when our own supplies can't even keep the towns here in water. Their normal habit of yelling we are wealthy and throwing money at everything isn't going to work.We have no snow packs either as the global warming or whatever affects Northern Calif. just the same as it does Southern Calif. They should have been building desalinization plants down there years ago but didn't want to spend the money. By the way, how are the reservoirs down there holding up? They must be starting to get low.

http://www.alternet.org/water/101193...han_you_think/

Bill,

I am not sure if much remain of the tunnels and bridges but will try to get over there soon and see if I can find anything. Right now the place is swarming with people looking for sunken boats and motors. And finding the occasional body or remains that drowned years ago and was never located.

Ron

[Ron61]

Bill,

Here are the latest pictures from the Redding paper. And there will be more coming if we don't get rain. There is a small town that was covered that is getting near the surface now. The first three are of Tunnel # 6. The last one is part of the old trestle leading into Tunnel # 5. The second picture shows part of Tunnel # 6 caved in and the trestle that you can see in the foreground is todays trestle.










Ron

[Jamo]

Cool pics!

Imperial Valley farmers have already sold most of their All-American canal water to San Diego. Now the District is going to line the canals and create off-canal storage to take their full alloitment. Not only will the Colorado River never reach the Gulf of Mexico in the wettest years (it hardly ever does now), but downstream Mexico will receive barely a trickle for the several million folks in Mexicali and the farming in Mexicali Valley. Arizona and Utah are going to take more of the upstream flow as well. Nevada's already looking at pipelines to transfer water from Northern Nevada to Vegas.

In California, the key is still storage. We're relying on a system built for half as many folks as we have now. Farmers have been using drip and reuse technology for a couple of decades now...there isn't much left they can do except switch crops. Sacramento rice will go away, as will vegetable crops in the San Joaquin. Many of the largest farms didn't even plant flat crops (fruits and vegetables) in 2007 or this year, saving their water for their trees and vineyards. That means our food will come more and more from Mexico and places south, where sewage water is used for irrigation (remember the outbreaks of disease from Mexican peppers after our CDC ruined our tomato crop with negligent press?).

We need dams, underground banking, the peripheral canal, better water management in the urban areas and things like grey water systems for landscaping, desalination like you said, etc. Just like our fuel needs...no one right answer, and everything's the right answer.

[Ron61]

I agree that we need more storage and have wanted more dams built for years but the so called environmentalists are stopping that. To them some worthless 1" fish is more important than people and food. I really feel for the farmers and fear that not only will we be facing water shortages in the near future but food shortages as well unless they can work something out. Right now they are iv a big fight up here about two small dams off up in the higher mountains which furnish power for a couple of small towns. Environmentalists have taken it to court to have them removed and that will leave those towns with no power or water source and neither dam or lake is large enough to make any impact on anything. Their argument is that all dams should be removed as the rivers and streams would recover on their own. They don't explain how since there has been no rain, the water table underground is very low and wells that have been drilled with their consent are so toxic they can't be used. I am not against trying to protect the environment, but I am starting to be against protecting some of these idiots.

Ron

[wtm442]

Anything you do in Californikator will have to go thru the Obama-Reid-Pelosi socialist test. Is more water good/necessary for the masses, or just the greedy big farmers? We need to spread the water around to those less fortunate, so maybe they will start using some old natural gas pipelines to ship your water to the right coast. That's the spirit of co-operation. Reach accross the aisle and send me your water.

Sometimes I pray for California, but then I remember I have the K twins (Kar Wash Kennedy and Kash & Karry Kerry). Sorry, I need to save all the prayers I have left for my home state. About the only thing that is going to save Calif in the long run is desalinization IMHO.

Just make sure that all of your water projects are turtle friendly, or you'll really get it right in the kisser ...

[nevermind65]

All this talk of water makes me want to take a 5 hour shower. Then I'll water the lawn for a day or two, wash the cars, fill the pool...again, then just let the hose run for a while.

Guess that's the benefit of living a few miles from Lake Erie.

[4RE KLR]

Originally Posted by Scott S

It is being studied....(no kidding)

I plan to stand every morning on the bank of the canal and pee into it.

Scott S

That is a good one Scott.

Maybe when they do you will get the cutting from the job. That would be great for your company.

[Cobrabill]

Thanks,Ron.

[Ron61]

Bill,

If we don't get rain soon and the lake continues to drop, there will be more pictures. There is a small town that was covered that is getting near the top now and as the water drops it goes down faster as all of the canyons it filled are now just silt and mud and it is starting to get into the main body of the lake.

Ron

[petek]

Ron, very interesting pictures and I've got a suggestion for even more pictures...

Get everyone in California to flush their toilets at some preset time. Even with low-flow toilets, given the population of California, you folks ought to be able to empty at least one of the reservoirs with just a single flush!

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by petek

.....you folks ought to be able to empty at least one of the reservoirs with just a single flush!

Ya, but that will still not get rid of all the crap in Californicator.

[Cobrabill]

Pete-that would be a sh!tty thing to do.

Warren-giving California a enema would require more than a flush.

[Ron61]

Well at least I live in the Far Northern part and everything would run downhill from here.

Ron

[4RE KLR]

Ron,
What is the estimated dept of the water at the dam right now?

Or for that matter the deepest part of the lake. Usually that area is by the dam, but not always.

With the bridges and tunnels starting to show up it must be getting close to nothing.

A good thing to do while the lake is down is to go in and excavate the silt and clean up the bottom. But that would be the smart thing to do and California is not known for those kinds of things.

[Ron61]

Steve,

I don't know what the depth at the dam is, but the deepest part of the lake is just in front of the dam. I know the water is over 160' from full and dropping every time anyone runs a faucet. My guess would be it is still over 150' deep, but that is a very narrow area and if it gets to it that will go fast.

Ron

[J. T. Toad]

from Wiki

"Maximum depth is 517 feet. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shasta_Lake

[Ron61]

Bill,

That is in the very center where the river was and it is only about 25' wide. If it gets to the point we reach that area, then there will be no more lake period. From the old river banks the canyon walls slope up pretty fast until they reach a point where it starts backing up into the canyons and that is why they can store so much water. But right now most of the canyons are just silt covered mud flats and the main body of the lake is basically all that remains.

Ron

[J. T. Toad]

Historic note: During the drought in 1977 Shasta Lake was at its lowest level ever recorded. In September of that year Shasta Lake was down 238 feet from the top.

let's hope you break a record!

There appears to be rain on the way.