Wet winter doesn’t end climate change risk to Colorado River [barf]

Associated Press ^ | August 15, 2019 | Felicia Fonseca

[Olog-hai]

Snow swamped mountains across the U.S. West last winter, leaving enough to thrill skiers into the summer, swelling rivers and streams when it melted, and largely making wildfire restrictions unnecessary. But the wet weather can be misleading.

Climate change means the region is still getting drier and hotter.

“It only demonstrates the wide swings we have to manage going forward,” James Eklund, former director of the Upper Colorado River Commission, an interstate agency that ensures river water is doled out properly, said earlier this year. “You can put an ice cube — even an excellent ice cube — in a cup of hot coffee, but eventually it’s going to disappear.”

For the seven states relying on the Colorado River, which carries melted snow from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of California, that means a future with increasingly less water for farms and cities.

Climate scientists say it’s hard to predict how much less. The river supplies 40 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming as well as a $5-billion-a-year agricultural industry. …

[dsrtsage]

I think here in northwest nevada, there has yet to he a day over 100 this year. Most mornings when I go hiking in july and august have been in the low 40s

[pfony1]

If I remember correctly, when a hydrocarbon is burned (oxidized), MORE molecules of water (H2O) are generated than molecules of CO2. For example:

Methane = CH4: CH4 + 3 O2 => 2 H2O + CO2

Ethane = C2H6: C2H6 + 5 O2 => 3 H20 + 2 CO2

Propane = C3H8: C3H8 + 7 O2 => 4 H2O + 3 CO2

It appears that no one at the AP understands that...

[microgeek42]

Higher highs, lower lows, averager averages.

[Oppressed_Citizen]

And they actually use less oxygen!

CH4 + 2 O2 = 2 H2O + CO2
2 C2H6 + 7 O2 = 6 H2O + 4 CO2
C3H8 + 5 O2 = 4 H2O + 3 CO2

[Openurmind]

They are going to build a new dam in Colorado and keep even more there.

[pfony1]

Ooops! Thank you!

This is what happens when one chooses to NOT check his work!

[5th MEB]

I don’t know about the rest of the country, but here in Trinity County we have had the mildest summer I can remember up here so far, 20 years for me.
All the lakes and reservoirs are fuller than I have ever seen them, most of them appear to be topped off.
There is still snow up in the high country of the Trinity Alps, water is still to cold to pan gold.
It’s the middle of August, and the highest temps so far have been in the upper 90’s here at the farm.
Actually had a thunder storm front move through here a few days ago and it got cold enough to light a fire in the fireplace, first time I have had to do that in 20 years.