[pct-l] The Mighty Mojave

[rogers at isi.edu (Craig Milo Rogers)]

	When hikers reach the downhill end of Deep Creek, in the San
Bernardino Mountains, and stare at the dry dam and basin there, they
often say, "What a dumb dam," or words to that effect.

	Nonetheless, that dam's there for a reason, and the
high-volume, warm*** rain we've been getting in Southern California is
part of that reason.  The fact that there are numerous houses and
business built right out on the flood plain of the Mojave river (and
more still being built!) is the other part of that reason, of course.

	Silverwood Lake is full (or nearly so), and is releasing 5,500
cubic fee a second of water, or more.  I don't know the state of the
basin at the end of Deep Creek, but I'd bet it's not dry, and it might
even be full.  The Mojave River, which normally (due to development in
the Victor Valley and consequent lowering of the water table) is dry
or has only a trickle of water on the surface below Silverwood Lake,
is raging.  It's eroding levees in Apple Valley, and threatening to
innundate homes and businesses.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/2005/110536718674106.html

	The next time you hike this stretch of the PCT, imagine the
water rushing over the spillways of the Deep Creek dam and Silverwood
Lake, and churning down the valley below.

	One final word.  I drove by the PCT at the I15 crossing a
couple of times this weekend.  Not only are there streams in the
canyons that aren't normally wet, there are 20-foot high waterfalls
here and there!  We're probably getting trail damage...

					Craig "Computer" Rogers


*** It is so warm, it is raining at the ski areas!  The warm rain is
    melting the snow that accumulated in the last few weeks of winter
    storms, and the reason why the runoff is higher than the current rain
    alone would suggest.