Drought-stricken US warned of looming 'dead pool' [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Drought-stricken US warned of looming 'dead pool'

By Regan Morris and Sophie Long
BBC News, Los Angeles

3 June 2022

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While the dead bodies are fuelling talk about Las Vegas' mob past, water experts warn of even more worrisome consequences. If the lake keeps receding, it would reach what's known as "dead pool" - a level so low the Hoover Dam would no longer be able to produce hydropower or deliver water downstream.

Californians have been told to conserve water at home or risk mandated water restrictions as a severe drought on the West Coast is expected to get worse during the summer months.

People have been told to limit outdoor watering and take shorter showers. In Los Angeles, many are being asked to cut their water use by 35%. The restrictions come after California recorded the driest start to the year on record.

Nasa, which monitors changing water levels, is warning that the western United States is now entering one of the worst droughts ever seen.

"With climate change, it seems like the dominoes are beginning to fall," Nasa hydrologist JT Reager told the BBC.

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Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61669233