Climatologist - Western Drought May Last For Years - SF Chronicle

[hatrack]

"A government climate researcher is predicting that the five-year Western drought could linger for several more years and more frequent droughts are likely. "It could continue for several more years, and it's something we need to be aware of," Gregory McCabe of the U.S. Geological Survey said. "I think people should be on their guard."

Drought in the West often is linked to periods when the northern Atlantic Ocean is warmer than normal, periods that tend to last nine to 23 years, McCabe said. The northern Atlantic switched into a warm phase nine years ago, and it shows no signs of fading, McCabe said Monday at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.

Colorado River flows at Lee's Ferry were lower between 2000 and 2004 than in any other five-year period since record keeping began in 1931, McCabe said. Lee's Ferry is near the Arizona-Utah line downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, which created Lake Powell. At the end of September, Lake Powell was at 38 percent capacity and still falling. It hasn't been this low since 1970, when the lake was first filling. McCabe said tree ring studies show the 20th century was unusually wet in the upper Colorado River Basin.

"Maybe the 20th century was the anomaly and this drought isn't the anomaly," McCabe said. "That's the scary part."

EDIT

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/11/09/state1427EST7393.DTL

[skylarmae]

1. ya know whats funny, I heard today that 4,000 room new complex

in Las Vegas to be built. Oasis in the desert is the theme. I was screaming at the tele this am when I heard this. Where the fuck are these people going to get all the water necessary to sustain that much growth in Vegas proper. If they don't have water of their own, TOP BUILDING ....

[phantom power]

2. maybe? I thought it was old news that the 20th century

was unusually wet for the SW.