A tale of water storage in the desert southwest--analogy for U.S. debt

Los Angeles gets 25% of its water from the Colorado River.  That river feeds the two largest man-made lakes in the U.S: Lake Mead and Lake Powell.  Lake Mead, created by the giant Boulder Dam, and supplies electricity to southern California.

Lake Powell is upstream from Lake Mead.  That will be important later. 

Finally, hundreds of miles downstream from Lake Mead another, smaller dam forms Lake Havasu, from which billions of gallons a year are pumped to Los Angeles via a staggeringly expensive 242-mile "conveyance system" of pumps, canals and siphons.

Powell is the first, highest-elevation reservoir in the chain.  When the water level in Lake Powell drops to 3,490 feet above sea level, it can no longer produce electricity.  

As of yesterday (July 17, 2026) the water level was 3,524.3 feet--just 34 feet above what's needed to make electricity.  But not to fret, deplorable: since that reservoir and dam are a long way from big cities, dat prolly no big deal, eh?

Lake Powell is formed by the Glen Canyon dam, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  You might think the Bureau would try to keep this upper reservoir at roughly 80% of capacity, so that in times of drought water could be released to replenish Lake Mead.  But increasing demand for water, and years of below-average rain and snow have consumed a lot of water Powell was designed to store.

Then three years ago, as Lake Mead reached a historic low level (1,040 feet above sea level), the Bureau released billions of gallons from the upper reservoir (Powell) to keep Lake Mead comfortable.  Okay, fabulous--but that's left the water level in that lake just 34 feet above the minimum to produce power.  But again, not to worry, eh?

Boulder Dam produces a vast amount of electricity, and 44% of that output goes to Los Angeles and the "Metropolitan Water District of Southern Cal."  Today the water level at Lake Mead is 90 feet above the minimum to produce power.  So hey, no problem, eh?  

But keep in mind that the water stored in the upper reservoir is approaching a critical level.  And Colorado reports that last winter's snowpack--the source for much of the water in the Colorado River, and thus in both reservoirs--was the smallest since they started comprehensive measuring in 1991--about half the median amount.  And now on July 17th all the water in the snowpack is gone, so for the rest of the year the lake levels will depend on rainfall.  Hmmm...

Hey, No problem, citizen!  Either Nature will save the day by suddenly deciding to rain a LOT more in that basin, OR the fucking Democrats will blame it all on Trump--and every fucking Democrat-fellating Media outlet will agree.  SO...no problem, deplorables!

Just like the national debt and yearly interest payments that are ALREADY more than our entire defense budget.  No problem, citizens!

Wait...why is this not a probem?  Oh, yeah: cuz the Dem-fellating Mainstream Media supports massive government spending on unnecessary shit--like USAID, foreign aid, endless government boards that aren't needed, massive payments to states to support illegal invaders, massive fraud a competent bunch could have prevented but didn't think to--and didn't want to even if it had occurred to 'em.

Your government is a total disaster.  You're being ruled by corrupt idiots.  But don't worry, cuz if it was serious, duh Mainstream Media wud surely tell ya, right?