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> Why build it so big if you’re not going to use the stored water during periods of drought? Storage is the whole point of the thing… except there’s one more th
by conductr 4y ago
> Why build it so big if you’re not going to use the stored water during periods of drought? Storage is the whole point of the thing… except there’s one more thing to discuss: Engineers and planners don’t actually know what the worst case scenario drought will be over the lifetime of a reservoir.
In regards to Lake Mead, perhaps others, the size and keeping it near full affords you time to find an alternative supply or some other solution that is undeterminable at concept/construction.
- TylerE 4y agoThat time is gone though... Lake Mead was last full in 1983, and has been steadily declining since... it's now at about a quarter of peak capacity.
- conductr 4y agoI don't think the original engineer's would have anticipated the level of inaction that's occurred. Same goes for ability to build/delays/regulation
- bee_rider 4y ago"Let's use the safety buffers provided by the original designers to ignore the problem as long as we can" has been our national infrastructure plan so far this century.
- rootusrootus 4y agoToo busy arguing about abortion and what bathroom someone is allowed to use, whether someone is racist or communist, and if it's even possible for the government to do useful things or if private enterprise should run society. I don't see that changing anytime soon. We'll just look the other way while infrastructure crumbles around us, and then point fingers blaming each other for failing to notice.
- rektide 4y agoMaybe we should vote not just on representatives, but on problems directly. Not necessarily on solutions... just, here's the cut of the top 8 issues. Work on these.
- rootusrootus 4y agoI'm not opposed to a national level initiative system. It won't solve everything, of course, but I think it would help.
- njarboe 4y agoHaving lived in California for 25 years that has a initiative system I would disagree. The amount of trivial and/or damaging constitutional amendments passed by that system that cannot be easily removed is quite disappointing. Special interest pay to gather signatures for all kinds of bad ideas.
- rektide 4y agoI specifically dont see this random-ass-idea as a system for voting on proposals. I see it as a way to narrow down & reduce bullshit shitstirring topics of no real use or relevance, trying to set some priorities for what is in range for working on. It still keeps representative democracy (instead of California style direct democracy) intact; up to the representatives to work on the issues. Or perhaps even ignore the suggested cut list of relevant topics? At their peril.
- TylerE 4y agoI'm not sure that would really help. If anything, it'd make things worse. Tax cuts? Passes with 98% approval Spending money on anything? No.
- bee_rider 4y agoTax cuts would pass. Spending money would too. Raising funds? Not so much.