03-11-2008, 05:42 AM
A few points warrant comment here.
1) It is true that there are periodically skinny stripers in lake Mead. However, it is due to the same cause as it is in lake Powell, the stripers eating all the threadfin shad. As a 10 yr. (former) Las Vegas area resident and Lake Mead angler, we would reliably see approximately a 3 yr. cycle of boom and bust. As for the phosphorus, you are right that the SNWA is required to remove phosphorus to very low levels, however, it is due to overly HIGH levels released causing unacceptable algae blooms as recently as 2001. The phosphorus levels in the water and sediment haven't even dropped below historical levels. See below link.
[url "http://ndep.nv.gov/forum/index.htm"]http://ndep.nv.gov/forum/index.htm[/url]
(see bottom line section on link. Causes for minimal drops on Phosphorus levels is felt to be from other Phosphorus sources and phosphorus leached from the lake sediments)
The lowering water levels and the increasing Las Vegas population also may require SNWA to lower the released phosphorus even more to keep within government guidelines. This link explains.
[url "http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/dec/tech/kc_phosphorus.html"]http://pubs.acs.org/...h/kc_phosphorus.html[/url]
I have found no reference anywhere of NDOW putting Phosphorus into Lake Mead to aid in striper feeding. I really doubt the US government would make the wastewater people remove even more phosphorus out of the water and then allow NDOW to dump phosphorus into the water. (It is the government though?)
2) As for Lake Powell, (and Mead, Mojave etc.) the Southwest and it's rampant population growth require two things; Water and power. There are political entities even more powerful than environmentalists and especially fishermen that will do ANYTHING to protect its water shares. These dams are not going anywhere. We in the West will see during our lifetimes some insane battles over water rights between the various states for Colorado river water.
I would also point out that as an occasionally tree hugging, June sucker, humpback chub loving freak, I would much rather have hydropower from a dam with no carbon emissions compared to more coal fired power, as is currently planned to meet much of our western electricity needs.
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1) It is true that there are periodically skinny stripers in lake Mead. However, it is due to the same cause as it is in lake Powell, the stripers eating all the threadfin shad. As a 10 yr. (former) Las Vegas area resident and Lake Mead angler, we would reliably see approximately a 3 yr. cycle of boom and bust. As for the phosphorus, you are right that the SNWA is required to remove phosphorus to very low levels, however, it is due to overly HIGH levels released causing unacceptable algae blooms as recently as 2001. The phosphorus levels in the water and sediment haven't even dropped below historical levels. See below link.
[url "http://ndep.nv.gov/forum/index.htm"]http://ndep.nv.gov/forum/index.htm[/url]
(see bottom line section on link. Causes for minimal drops on Phosphorus levels is felt to be from other Phosphorus sources and phosphorus leached from the lake sediments)
The lowering water levels and the increasing Las Vegas population also may require SNWA to lower the released phosphorus even more to keep within government guidelines. This link explains.
[url "http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2006/dec/tech/kc_phosphorus.html"]http://pubs.acs.org/...h/kc_phosphorus.html[/url]
I have found no reference anywhere of NDOW putting Phosphorus into Lake Mead to aid in striper feeding. I really doubt the US government would make the wastewater people remove even more phosphorus out of the water and then allow NDOW to dump phosphorus into the water. (It is the government though?)
2) As for Lake Powell, (and Mead, Mojave etc.) the Southwest and it's rampant population growth require two things; Water and power. There are political entities even more powerful than environmentalists and especially fishermen that will do ANYTHING to protect its water shares. These dams are not going anywhere. We in the West will see during our lifetimes some insane battles over water rights between the various states for Colorado river water.
I would also point out that as an occasionally tree hugging, June sucker, humpback chub loving freak, I would much rather have hydropower from a dam with no carbon emissions compared to more coal fired power, as is currently planned to meet much of our western electricity needs.
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