Lake Mead B-29

p51 · **Posted:** Tue May 03, 2022 12:08 pm

menards wrote:

Noone cares about the diminishing resource providing water. to millions of people. You are watching real life "who moved my cheese" play out for everyone. No one will be concerened until they goto the spigot and nothing comes out. Until then, golf courses are watered, pools are filled, new suburban housing tracts continue to be built. Water level is dropping, and the B-29 will soon be very near, then actually on, the surface. Since this is a warbird forum, the concern is preservation of whats left of the bomber. From what I have read the quagga mussels have already taken a toll, causing the tail to fold over. The bomber sits at 970'. Las Vegas is sucking water from 860'. The lower the lake gets..the faster the lake level drops. It will be an interesting development over the next couple of summers for sure. I liked the one proposed idea that the b-29s remains are recovered preserved and displayed as it sat on the bottom of the lake for so many years.

It's not that nobody cares, I'd think, so much so that they can't do anything about it, especially for the majority here who live nowhere near the place (who neither contribute to the draining of the lake, nor have voting rights for anything having to do anything with it).
Just like the murder victim who was recently found encased on a rusted steel drum in the lake when the level dropped below where that poor person was dumped (apparently in the 80s), there's nothing most folks on this forum can do about that, either.
Again, this isn't a lake/reservoir forum.

JohnB · **Posted:** Tue May 03, 2022 12:23 pm

My post was taking exception to the phrase suggesting million of people are dying of thirst.
Really, in Vegas?
It can't be too much of an issue is there are nearly a thousand golf courses within 500 miles of the lake.

If the poster's point was people are dying of thirst somewhere, I might agree but ask what that has to do with the B-29 and this thread.

Yes, water is a problem, but in discussing issues, we don't need exaggeration or histrionics.

JohnB · **Posted:** Tue May 03, 2022 12:25 pm

Double post.

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2022 2:29 pm

menards wrote:

Until then, golf courses are watered, pools are filled, new suburban housing tracts continue to be built.

If people really want to know what is happening in Lake Mead, they need to do some research into the Colorado River Compact.

Look into how much water each state in the upper and lower portions of the Compact are apportioned, and then go look at the actual amounts of water each of those states have used in the last two decades or so compared to their apportionment.

No, it isn't golf courses or residential pools or new construction homes in Vegas that are the cause of the water level in the reservoir dropping.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

My point is that I don't think it is realistic that the reservoir will be drained dry and the B-29 will be exposed. Maybe I'm wrong though.

p51 · **Posted:** Wed May 04, 2022 5:43 pm

bdk wrote:

My point is that I don't think it is realistic that the reservoir will be drained dry and the B-29 will be exposed. Maybe I'm wrong though.

From what I read on a diving site about the location, I'd bet that you're right.
That said, i do not at all profess to know anything about the lake other than having seen it a few times in person.

menards · **Joined:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:46 pm **Posts:** 543

menards wrote:

phil65 wrote:

"I'd argue that only a small percentage of park visitors are scuba qualified."....

Phil

i dont think some are getting the point. 20 years ago the bomber was in 300 ft of water. Today its in 85 feet of water. In a couple years is will be on dry land, less than a two mile hike from the Echo Bay gas station.

The lake has dropped 10 more feet in one month since this post. Lake mead B-29 is now in ~75 feet of water.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

menards wrote:

The lake has dropped 10 more feet in one month since this post. Lake mead B-29 is now in ~75 feet of water.

Come on drought! Pretty soon we'll be able to fly it out.

hurricane_yank · **Joined:** Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:33 pm **Posts:** 434

bdk wrote:

menards wrote:

The lake has dropped 10 more feet in one month since this post. Lake mead B-29 is now in ~75 feet of water.

Come on drought! Pretty soon we'll be able to fly it out.

Kee Bird Part II

wendovertom · **Posted:** Wed Jun 01, 2022 3:48 pm

hurricane_yank wrote:

bdk wrote:

menards wrote:

The lake has dropped 10 more feet in one month since this post. Lake mead B-29 is now in ~75 feet of water.

Come on drought! Pretty soon we'll be able to fly it out.

Kee Bird Part II

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.

Tom P.

lucky52 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:43 pm

When it is high and dry jack it up, drop the gear, and tow it to a display area.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

From the video of the point cloud data that has been taken, it doesn't look to me like the tail dropped off due to marine life. It looks like when the aircraft settled to the bottom it landed on a ridge that broke the tail. Anyone else have any thoughts on that?

lucky52 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 02, 2022 2:53 pm

I wonder if that sun tracker device is still on board?

marine air · **Posted:** Sat Jun 04, 2022 10:05 pm

Not likely. They were researching and designing it as it was to be used for guidance on cruise missiles. Too sensitive to leave on the airplane.

menards · **Joined:** Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:46 pm **Posts:** 543

Lake levels have dropped 30 ft in the last 6 months The B-29 is now in less than 70 feet of water. Latest projection is whats left of the bomber will be on dry land within 12 months.

Warbird Information Exchange

Lake Mead B-29

Who is online