Western Deserts by Jeff Foott - This weeks Big Picture

 

Western Deserts by Jeff Foott

From California's towering sand dunes of the Mojave Desert to Nevada's rapidly diminishing Lake Mead, Jeff Foott shows both the ramifications of climate change and the stark beauty of these arid environments.
Storms in the west have increased the water levels in Lake Mead, but only fractionally. While the reservoir was at 27% capacity over the summer, it was only at 28% at the end of January. One concern about the dropping water level is about power. Intake towers for the hydroelectric plant at Hoover Dam are at near-record lows, which affects the amount of energy generated. Declining water flow has cut the dam’s power generation capacity almost in half over the last ten years.


In Capitol Reef National Park, you will find a rare 15-foot high mound of selenite glass crystals called Glass Mountain, whose formation began over 165 million years ago. These large crystals are valuable to collectors. Indeed, a similar mound outside the protection of the park boundaries has been reduced to ground level over the years by visitors.