However, these responses can have a noticeable impact on the river downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. From there, a swing to the northeast delivers boats into Lake Powell's main artery. As of September 20, 2021, the water elevation at Glen Canyon Dam was 3,546.93 feet, more than 153 feet below "full pool" (elevation 3,700 feet). At the west end of Narrow Canyon, the Dirty Devil River joins the lake from the north. Utahs Flaming Gorge, Colorados Blue Mesa and New Mexicos Navajo. The lake level began to rebound; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the trend toward rising water levels. The August 2022 24-Month Study modeled 2023 and 2024 operations at Lakes Powell and Mead as if the 0.480 maf had been delivered to Lake Mead for operating tier/condition purposes both for the U.S. Lower Basin and for Mexico. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. Lake Powell has fallen victim to excessive water use as a 20-year drought parches the region. We need to get ourselves prepared," he says. According to the Bureau of Reclamation's website (on March 22, 2022), Lake The unregulated inflow during the 2000-2022 period has ranged from a low of 2.64 maf (28 percent of average) in water year 2002 to a high of 15.97 maf (166 percent of average) in water year 2011. For additional information, see the following news release: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4196. A Tier 3 shortage would impact the amount of . Upper Colorado River Basin regularly experiences significant year to year hydrologic variability. Lake Powell Water Level including historical chart. Feet above sea level Change - Feet difference over previous . He also was an associate editor at 5280 and a reporter for the Vail Daily. "Its always good to plan for the worst, right? The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powell's water levels. We maintain a strict editorial firewall between our funders and our journalism. google_ad_width = 160; To view the most current monthly release projections, click on: Lake Powell Release Projections. Previous forecasts showed this was possible and the Bureau of Reclamation announced on March 4 that a . Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. With low-runoff conditions and . Fresh Water News is an independent, non-partisan news initiative of Water Education Colorado. Climate change also plays a part. As of Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 where elevation was 3521.04', Copyright Summit Technologies, Inc.1999 - 2023Site Views Today: 0Page Views Today: 0, The 28 tracked reservoirs above Lake Powell are currently at 58.69% of capacity. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . Forecasts are calling for 4.1 million acre-feet of water to flow into Lake Powell from April to July this year, but water managers are obligated to release more than 7 million acre-feet out of the lake. Lukas noted that the dry soil conditions are factored into the NOAA runoff predictions from the get-go so there shouldnt necessarily be any big surprises with that particular variable. As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom in accordance with the Civil Constitution. swE{,,;o0U|+/ :u7j@;pGh00gr\j30sAD+ ON 9
Precipitation was better, but still slightly below normal in the Upper Colorado River Basin. google_color_link = "0000FF";
U.S. Arizona Drought Climate Change Water Conservation. The Colorado River cuts through dry land that was once covered by Lake Powell on September 7, 2022, near Hite, Utah. (For comparison, the 1991-2020 total water year average is 9.60 maf.) Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. If you have feedback on content, format, or publication frequency, please contact us. This was the lowest water levels have been since the lake was first constructed in the 1930s. It took decades for Lake Powell to reach catastrophically low levels, and according to one expert . 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. google_color_url = "426C95"; 2022, a day after Southern California delared a water . %PDF-1.7
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Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. So, it takes awhile to fill and it takes awhile to empty.". endstream
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But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. Level 3 Shortage Condition 1,025 ft and below Elevation 1,090 ft Elevation 1,045 ft Historical Future According to Jay Lund, vice director for the Center for Watershed Sciences and a professor at the University of California, the long-term average use in the lower Colorado River Basin exceeds the long-term flow of water, meaning the only solution is to "substantially reduce water use" in the basin. (Due to the angle of sunlight, this image may cause an optical illusion known as relief inversion.). She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. Updated: 10:18 PM MDT April 26, 2022 DENVER Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona state line, is part of a river system that supplies water to 40 million people. GCC is the official nonprofit partner of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area & Rainbow Bridge National Monument. The modeling approach for WY 2023 will apply to 2024. Another 480 kaf will be left in Lake Powell by reducing Glen Canyon Dams annual release volume from 7.48 maf to 7.0 maf, as outlined in the 2007 Interim Guidelines that control operations of Glen Canyon Dam and Hoover Dam. For additional information, the news release can be found here: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294. The February forecast for water year 2023 ranges from a minimum probable of 8.37 maf (87 percent of average) to a January forecasted maximum probable of 14.93 maf (155 percent of average) with the most probable forecast for water year 2023 of 10.44 maf (109 percent of average). Lake Powell Water Supply Outlook, February 1, 2022 Note: This publication is scheduled for revision. SW Satellite Weather The period 2000-2022 is the lowest 23-year period since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, with an average unregulated inflow of 8.29 maf, or 93 percent of the 30-year average (1991-2020). The March 2023 releases are anticipated to fluctuate between a low of 5,276 cfs to a high of 9,641 cfs. The NOAA forecast center begins releasing monthly water supply forecasts for the Colorado River Basin in December. The Colorado River flows from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado through the southwestern United States. There is approximately an 80 percent probability that a future elevation will fall inside the range of the minimum and maximum inflow scenarios. The May report, released last week, is the final runoff prediction for the season. google_ad_height = 600; There are continued discussions when and how that same amount of water (0.523 maf) will be . 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. This is the big warning bell.. Graphical view of Lake Powell water data. Under the current most probable forecast, the total water year 2023 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell is projected to be 10.44 maf (109 percent of average). The plan can be found at the following website: https://www.usbr.gov/dcp/droa.html. Last Reading: 3521.11 on Feb 27, 2023 Powell was last within 2" of this elevation on Feb 26, 2023 There are currently 1,734,731,016,499 gallons of water in Lake Powell! Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM Level is 178.87 feet 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. Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powells water level. Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at . Lund said that throughout the reservoir's history, it has refilled to its original levels just once. As of Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 where elevation was 3521.04', Copyright Summit Technologies, Inc.1999 - 2023Site Views Today: 0Page Views Today: 0, The 28 tracked reservoirs above Lake Powell are currently at 58.69% of capacity. levels. 15 Day Weather Forecast To view the most current reservoir elevation projections, click on: Lake Powell Elevation Projections. In January, following the wet December Moser noted, the NOAA forecast called for 98% of the 30-year average to reach Powell. More by Chris Outcalt, Got a story tip? The drop in the power forecast comes as Upper Colorado River Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming prepare to finalize a new drought operations plan for the giant river system. A visual history of the water level of each of our Lake Powell trips over the past three years. Depending on the severity of the system emergency, the response from Glen Canyon Dam can be significant, within the full range of the operating capacity of the power plant for as long as is necessary to maintain balance in the transmission system. 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. Its better than last year, but well just have to see what the next two to four weeks holds for precipitation.. Printable Version Gas Prices on Lake Detailed Map of Powell 15 Day Weather Forecast The end of January elevation and storage of Lake Powell were 3,523.45 feet (177 feet from full pool) and 5.45 million acre-feet (maf) (23 percent of live capacity), respectively. Scientists say the current drought is the driest on record in the last twelve hundred years. //2006-10-04: news Credit: Alex Hager. Late last fall WAPA, which operates the electric grid and distributes the power to utilities, raised rates 30% to cover reductions in power revenue. SW Satellite Weather Global warming is expected to make droughts more severe in the future. %%EOF
She also sits on the Upper Colorado River Commission. At the same time, power producers are gearing up to craft a fallback plan for extending hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam if water levels continue to fall. Based on current inflow forecasts, the current projected end of water year 2023 total Colorado Basin reservoir storage is approximately 20.93 maf (36 percent of total system capacity). New 1991-2020 Averages being used this year. 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. He began his journalism career in New Hampshire, then moved West and became a reporter at the Lafayette News. The basin states, in a response letter, expressed concern that the water level of Lake Powell would decline below critical elevations, making the dam inoperable. 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