Oh No! We’re in the 23rd year of a record drought.
About 50% of the power produced at Hoover Dam still goes to California. Nevada gets aboddut 22%, Arizona gets 20%. and Native American tribes are also among the dam’s customers.
At full capacity, the turbines at the dam can produce 2,074 megawatts, but as the water level has declined during the drought, power production has been affected and efficiency of the power plant is down 33%.
There are 17 turbines — nine fed by the two towers on the Arizona side and eight fed by the Nevada towers. The technology and the design of the turbines has improved over the years. All the original turbines were replaced between 1986 and 1993. And recent design improvements have been put in place as five turbines were rebuilt over the past decade. The rebuilt “wide-head” turbines operate more efficiently and have a higher tolerance as hydraulic force drops.
We have to take water conservation seriously!
