FROM OUR READERS: All wet?

To the editor:

I was glad to see that my congressional testimony earlier this month on the Colorado River and climate change was covered by an article and editorial in the Review-Journal ("Lake Mead dried up?" June 11 editorial).

Under current operating rules, Lake Mead receives 9 million acre-feet (maf) from Lake Powell and the tributaries between Powell and Mead, while Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico take 10.4 maf from Mead every year. With Mead currently at approximately 14 maf and Powell too low to release any more water for the foreseeable future, this practice carried to extremes would empty Mead in 10 years. This is exactly what I said in my testimony.

I did not say that Lake Mead would be empty in 10 years. Clearly, our water managers would not let this occur.

I will not be taking up your offer to bet on Lake Mead's contents in 10 years -- one look at the Strip should convince anyone that betting against Las Vegas is ill-advised.

My testimony was made to point out a serious structural problem with the way Arizona, California and Nevada have relied on extra, but not legally or reliably available, flows from the Upper Basin for the past 10 years.

This problem exists entirely apart from potential reductions in flow due to climate change and without action will not disappear.

Thankfully, as also noted in my testimony, the Bureau of Reclamation and the seven Colorado River Basin states are close to an historic and innovative agreement to fix at least part of this on-going deficit.

As for global warming, in 1997 the American Water Works Association, the lead trade group for water managers, said, "Global warming is a fact and water managers need to plan accordingly." There are several new, peer-reviewed scientific studies on climate change which indicate that the American Southwest is at enhanced risk of drought. While these studies might be wrong, given their agreement and number, we would be foolish to entirely ignore them.

Contrary to the editorial, with knowledge and lead time, I trust our leaders and water managers, including the Southern Nevada Water Authority's capable leadership, to plan for future contingencies related to population growth, drought, and changes in Colorado River flows due to climate change.

Brad Udall

BOULDER, COLO.

THE WRITER IS A WATER EXPERT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO.