Electricity produced at Lake Powells Glen Canyon Dam, which serves some 50 Colorado utilities, and dozens of others in the Colorado River Basin, has been cut in half by the 20-year drought, with power levels over the next two years projected to be 47% lower than normal, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. About 40 million people rely on the Colorado River for domestic use and farmers and ranchers use water from the river to irrigate more than 3 million acres of farmland. But it is concerning. Get the most up to date information on Lake Powell's water levels and the status of launch ramps from the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and more with the links and pages below. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. Precipitation declines combined with booming urban populations will present a significant challenge to Western water managers in the near future. These projections are critical for planning for an increasingly dry future in the Colorado River Basin, but a new paper from Utah State University says the model may still underestimate the risk. //-->, Printable Version In the image acquired on May 1, 2004, the reservoirs northwestern branch is isolated from the main reservoir; the shallow water upstream could not crest raised areas in the lakebed. A century of river flow records combined with an additional four to five centuries of tree-ring data show that the droughts over the past two decades were not unusual; longer and more severe droughts are a regular part of the climate variability in that part of the continent. U.S. Arizona Drought Climate Change Water Conservation. At the west end of Narrow Canyon, the Dirty Devil River joins the lake from the north. Credit: Alex Hager. %%EOF The most probable inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 50 percent of the time. It took decades for Lake Powell to reach catastrophically low levels, and according to one expert . She reported that, as of March 16, 2022, Lake Powell was at an elevation of 3,524.83 feet (ft.) with storage of 5.916 million acre-feet (maf) or 24 percent of capacity. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . A visual history of the water level of each of our Lake Powell trips over the past three years. Lake Powells water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. (Due to the angle of sunlight, this image may cause an optical illusion known as relief inversion.). The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. The picture was much different 59 years ago, when the giant storage reservoir on the Colorado River was filling, its electricity helping power the West and the revenue from its power sales helping fund endangered fish protection programs across the Colorado River Basin. After decades of drought, the water level in Lake Powell has sunk to unimaginable lows, threatening millions of people who rely on the water supply. Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. Utahs Flaming Gorge, Colorados Blue Mesa and New Mexicos Navajo. KNAU's Melissa Sevigny reports. Back then, Hannegan said, We made an assumption that our WAPA (Western Area Power Administration) allocation would be firm, reliable and always there. The probable maximum inflow scenario reflects a wet hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 10 percent of the time. water-data.com Lake Powell Water Database. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. Printable Version Gas Prices on Lake Detailed Map of Powell 15 Day Weather Forecast Additionally, there are possible inflow scenarios that would result in reservoir elevations falling outside the ranges indicated in these reports. Even Less water forecast to flow into Lake Powell this year, report says May NOAA runoff report predicts even less water will flow into Lake Powell this year than previously forecasted. On April 8, Reclamation announced it would likely keep more water in Lake Powell, reducing releases from the planned 7.5 million acre-feet to 7 million acre-feet, a move that could trigger emergency water cutbacks in Arizona, California and Nevada. Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. But in a statement, she said, The Upper Basin States are working collaboratively with the Bureau of Reclamation to draft a 2022 Drought Response Operations Plan outlining potential releases from Upper Basin reservoirs in an effort to protect critical elevations at Lake Powell. Surface Water Elevation (feet) Lake Powell End of Month Elevations1 . The water level in Lake Powell was at a record low when rain and snow began to fall across the Colorado River Basin in October, soaking dry soils ahead of the winter season. The annual release volume from Lake Powell during water year 2023 will be 7.77 maf under the Lower Elevation Balancing Tier and will balance the contents between Powell and Mead with annual release volumes from Glen Canyon Dam between 7.00 maf and 9.50 maf as determined under Section 6.D.1 and 7.D of the Interim Guidelines as determined by the Department of the Interior as described above. Flight Center. The critical issue is how to maintain the lake at 3,525, which marks an elevation that is the top of the liquid buffer zone designed to protect the lakes mighty electricity turbines. He began his journalism career in New Hampshire, then moved West and became a reporter at the Lafayette News. These projections are critical for planning for an increasingly dry future in the Colorado River Basin, but a new paper from Utah State University says the model may still underestimate the risk. According to the Bureau of Reclamation's website (on March 22, 2022), Lake The lake level began to rebound; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the trend toward rising water levels. 192 0 obj <>stream Lake Powell Water Supply Outlook, February 1, 2022 Note: This publication is scheduled for revision. Lake Powell is so low that it is nearing a dead pool, in which water levels aren't high enough to deliver water downstream. We are 37% through the Water Year. Though the 2022 forecast isnt expected to be finalized until later this month, water officials expect that more water will have to be released from Upper Basin storage reservoirs this summer because inflows into the lake from the drought-stressed Colorado River are expected to be well below average again, in the 60% to 80% range. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter(s). Jian Wang of Utahs Center for Colorado River Studies says that means the projections may be too optimistic. 04:18 . Across most of the streams and rivers of the Upper Basin, forecasted runoff ranges from very poor (50% of average) to mediocre (80% of average).. An initiative of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder. //2006-10-04: news These long-term projections help water managers plan for future shortages, which are increasingly likely in the Colorado River Basin, in part because of warmer temperatures brought on by global climate change. Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM Level is 178.87 feet In addition to the February 2023 24-Month Study based on the Most Probable inflow scenario, and in accordance with the Drought Response Operational Agreement (DROA)), Reclamation has conducted model runs in February to determine a possible range of reservoir elevations. Click for . While the lake was significantly higher in 2011 and 2012 than in 2005, a careful comparison of the side canyons reveals that the level was still not back to 1999 levels, when the lake was near full capacity. But generally below-normal precipitation the last several months after a very wet December.. To view the most current monthly release projections, click on: Lake Powell Release Projections. Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. Last week, the Bureau of Reclamation announced extraordinary action to keep the water level at Powell from dropping too low, which could threaten hydropower production at Powells Glen Canyon Dam. GCC is the official nonprofit partner of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area & Rainbow Bridge National Monument. The Water Desk launched in April 2019 with support from the Walton Family Foundation. This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents. As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. Its not a hypothetical situation anymore.. Colorado River Basin Water Management: Evaluating and Adjusting to Hydroclimatic Variability. (2019-2021) AND my own personal prediction of 2022 based on p. Encompassing all or parts of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. But the 30-year period is the standard reference worldwide and captures more variability, according to Paul Miller of the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. Although developing snowpack in the area is "fairly good" and might stave off dead pool in Lake Powell for another year or so, according to Lund, the solution lies with people conserving water. This was the lowest water levels have been since the lake was first constructed in the 1930s. Water Summary Today is day 136 of 365 for the Water Year 2023. Climate change also plays a part. "This is probably the largest reservoir system in the country in terms of storage. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Geological Survey for comment. Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. google_ad_type = "text_image"; Projections at Lake Mead show there is a chance as high as 66% that water levels will decline to 1,025 feet by 2025, triggering a Tier 3 Shortage. By May 1, the spring-summer runoff outcomes are pretty well locked in, which means theres virtually no escape from a third poor runoff year in a row, Jeff Lukas, an independent water and climate researcher based in Lafayette, said in an email. Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for elevations above 4000.Heavy accumulations of 10-20 are forecast above 6000, 3-8 to 4500 and several inches to valley floors. Few expected to ever see this drop in hydropower production, let alone consider what to do if Glen Canyon were to cease electricity production entirely. The Bureau of Reclamation announced on May 3, 2022, two separate urgent drought response actions that will help prop up Lake Powell by nearly 1 million acre-feet (maf) of water over the next 12 months (May 2022 through April 2023). The northwestern side branch of Lake Powell remained cut off from the rest of the reservoir. Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powells water level. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; On April 8, Reclamation announced it would likely keep more water in Lake Powell, reducing releases from the planned 7.5 million acre-feet to 7 million acre-feet, a move that could trigger emergency water cutbacks in Arizona, California and Nevada. 175 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<68753438768B134985CC80C922059B30>]/Index[159 34]/Info 158 0 R/Length 84/Prev 199590/Root 160 0 R/Size 193/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Under system normal conditions, fluctuations for regulation are typically short lived and generally balance out over the hour with minimal or no noticeable impacts on downstream river flow conditions. The actual end of water year 2023 system storage may vary from this projection, primarily due to uncertainty regarding this seasons runoff and reservoir inflow. 15 Day Weather Forecast For more information on the tools we use, consult, Upper Colorado Mainstem Specific Site Forecasts. Close Become a member Login My Account Logout Search for:Search News Education Health Coloradans Equity Sun Investigation Crime and Courts Culture Sports Its better than last year, but well just have to see what the next two to four weeks holds for precipitation.. 8_9dyB`n`` +30|@,6a # LAKE POWELL, Utah Lake Powell water levels continue to drop, and a new report released by the Bureau of Reclamation projects the possibility America's . CNN's Bill Weir has more. The Colorado River flows in from the east around Mille Crag Bend and is swallowed by the lake. Lake Powell Water Level including historical chart. Note that projections of elevation and storage for water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the season. google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; Our editorial policy and donor list can be viewed atwateredco.org. To view the current inflow forecast relative to past inflows, click on Lake Powell Inflow Forecast. Fresh Water News is an independent, nonpartisan news initiative of Water Education Colorado. hbbd``b`$WX)! google_color_url = "426C95"; Reclamation will also ensure all appropriate consultation with Basin Tribes, the Republic of Mexico, other federal agencies, water users and non-governmental organizations with respect to implementation of these monthly and annual operations. Lake Powell is at low for water year and down 9.26 feet from the high. The water levels at Lake Powell have dropped around 100 feet in the last three years. Managers have watched the water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the country terms! 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