Name:	Gilles -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	3/16/2022 3:59:53 AM

Record low every day.  go under 1050 feet in august?

Name:	VTJoe -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	3/30/2022 11:41:08 AM

Yep, I've been watching this lake level graph for years. Based on the trend, I expect it to go down at least to the 1040 range by later this summer.

 What I've been wondering is, where are all the news stories? Remember last year when there was dire speculation that the lake was going to drop below 1075? Is the world getting numb to this story? Not me? Even though I live in far away VT, I think that the Lake Mead elevation is one metric that F-ing Matters!

Name:	Jorick -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/3/2022 3:15:20 PM

There are some news stories out there.  I don't watch the news but I'm subscribed to some news channels on YouTube, and they post water level and drought info almost daily.  You can probably find them by searching for "Lake Mead water level".

I don't think many people care about the water level or drought.  All they care about is whether something comes out of the tap when they turn it on, or whether the light comes on when they hit the switch.  Yesterday, the upper water supply intake (out of 3) became visible so the amount of water available is going down.  And somewhere around May 20 (about 2 weeks after when this post is written), the critical height of 1050 will be passed and 12 of the 17 generators will have to be shut down.  Now THAT will be a wakeup call!

Vermont, eh?  I lived in New Hampshire for about 20 years before Covid forced me to work at home.  Since I live in a travel trailer full time, I figured I'd move down to the sunny climes of Mesa, AZ where my daughter lives.  This was 2 years ago and even back then I was well aware of the drought because of my daughter.  Now I live here and I wonder what's going to happen in a couple weeks.  At least water in Mesa isn't as critical as western Arizona and southern California because there are some reservoirs that service the area east of Phoenix.  But electricity may be a different matter.  At least I can move my trailer easy enough.  If things get really bad, I'm moving to Florida.

Name:	VTJoe -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/6/2022 6:20:43 AM

Under 1050 equals 12 generator shutdowns? Yikes! This morning, looks like we've only got a llittle over 3 feet to go.

Yeah, I've been in VT ever since I came here in the 70's to finish college (originally from Ohio). 

RE your worry about power, you might look into installing solar onto your travel trailer. You undoubtadly have better sun than we do here in VT. I actually do this for a living; I have a small business call TinySolar Vermont. This isn't a sales pitch, because Arizona is way outta my working range. But I have installed solar onto vans before. Most of my customers have camps or tiny houses. 

Name:	Jorick -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/6/2022 9:28:50 AM

Last year I spent about $3000 to have a couple solar panels put on my trailer.  I have five marine/RV batteries but that doesn't last very long.  I'm hoping to get another five so that I stay above 12 volts overnight.  But the AC doesn't run on the batteries so when it hits 118 degrees it's going to be a big problem staying cool.  I may have to either move to Florida or start spending summers in New England.

Name:	VTJoe -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/10/2022 7:19:40 AM

I'm going to make a couple of guesses from what you tell me. 

- You may be a bit weak on the solar production. If the "couple panels on your roof" are 50 or 100 watts, they're not even close to what an AC needs. Most traditional AC units I've seen come closer to requiring 1000 watts or more. Having said that, I've heard of 400 wattt units as well as "mini-split" heat punp/AC's that can get as low as around 700 watts. The two camper-vans that I helped with last year each squeezed two lrger panels onto their roofs to put their solar power at about 700 watts. In both cases we also went with a 24-volt batery bank and inverter (much more efficient than 12 volt). To me, it's a pain-in-the-arse that so many appliances for RV's, campers, etc., are still 12 volt dc. 

- Is part of the reason that your AC "doesn't run on batteries" due to it being standard Alternating Current 110 volt? That can be corrected by getting an inverter, if you don't already have one. But of course, the size of the solar array is still very important. One "Glam Camper" that I saw on You Tube said she was able to run her (small-400 watt) AC unit off her solar system, which had 900 watts worth of solar systems. Panels can come in as high as 480 watts or more apiece nowadays. So if you could find room for a couple of those Big Boys, you might be in shooting range for resonable power that can last through the night (with some discretion).

Here's a company that has resonable prices and a user-friendly website. They're known for catering to DIY folks too: altestore.com

If you could get your solar production up somewhere closer to 1000 watts (probably two large panels hooked in series to up the voltage), switch to a modern MPPT charge controller (if you haven't already), rewire you battery bank to be 24 volts and thus put in a 24 volt inverter as well, you would probably greatly improve the overall performance.

If you have 12 volt DC appliances that you don't want to part with, you could still run them directly off the 24-volt battery bank, by putting in a "24 to 12" converter along the line between the batteries and the 12 volt loads.

Granted, in the real world that we live in, we can't all afford to just replace a bunch of equipment! I get that. But I just wanted to give you a glimpse of what sort of system is actually needed to run an AC unit and/or perhaps a fridge (lights and battery chargers, etc., are so easy, that I'm not even mentioning them here). 

Name:	Jorick -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/10/2022 8:58:18 AM

My solar panels are both 170 watts.  Their primary function is to allow me to run my work computer when the power goes out, which it does more often than I'd like.  They can also run all other 120v things in my trailer except the AC, fireplace, and microwave, thanks to a 2000w inverter, but I typically leave them unplugged during a power outage since even an appliance that's off can pull a significant amount of electricity.  I also have a 1500w inverter that's connected to 12v but not to any interior wiring, which I have as a backup.  The fridge works off 12v and doesn't drain the battery too much during the night.  That's probably the largest power draw on the 12v line.

I'm also looking into a generator for an in-window AC that I have.  It won't keep the trailer cool but it will keep the living room temperature down to 100 to 110 on really hot days.

So, I'm not really looking for comfort.  Just a way to keep working since, as a contractor, every hour I spend idle is an hour I don't get paid.

Name:	Woodgasifier -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/12/2022 2:41:59 PM

They can generate power down to 950 elevation. They replaced the blades.

Name:	Jorick -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/12/2022 3:43:46 PM (updated 5/12/2022 3:44:16 PM)

They only replaced the blades in five of the turbines.  The other 12 out of 17 will be shut off at 1050 feet.  So, in a few weeks, the dam will be putting out less than a third of its normal power.  But with turbines idle, it may be a good time to replace more blades.

Name:	Woodgasifier -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/12/2022 6:42:05 PM

When they shut down those turbines at 1050 elevation. Do they cut back on the water being released through the dam? Affecting river level down river?

Name:	Woodgasifier -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/13/2022 6:24:28 PM

When the 1050 event happens the West Coast will have to buy spot power on the open market. I think I read somewhere the cost difference is like 5 times. Hoover Dam produces cheap power. Where do you think they will be buying from mostly?  Nuclear, Gas and Coal are the most reliable power sources once water is removed. 

Name:	VTJoe -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/18/2022 6:35:57 AM

Well, it looks like we're within a day or two of finding out. Fasten your seatbelts, here it comes!!

Name:	Woodgasifier -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/20/2022 1:10:11 PM

The End Is Now! Flew out of PHX yesterday before the blackouts start. 

Name:	VTJoe -	Reply
Subject:	lake level
Date:	5/21/2022 4:49:00 PM

You're smart to put some distance between you and Phoenix! I started expecting a cataclysmic end to civilization while i was in college in the seventies. I guess I was off by about 50 years. But I think that we are seeing it for real now. Resource depletion, ecological collapse, war, the breakdown of "polite society", etc. (that last one is particularly difficult to prepare for).