Now, though, we know that its not firm, its not reliable, and its coming at a much higher cost.. SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites In order to restore Lake Powell's levels, one expert said people must conserve water in the Colorado River's lower basin. Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. Lake Powell, Printable Version To view the most current reservoir elevation projections, click on: Lake Powell Elevation Projections. "Its always good to plan for the worst, right? Note that projections of elevation and storage for water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the season. We need to get ourselves prepared," he says. She also sits on the Upper Colorado River Commission. 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. 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. Committee on the Scientific Bases of Colorado River Basin Water Management, National Research Council. n$L{Z. Gas Prices on Lake The nation's second-largest reservoir is under pressure from climate change and steady demand, and is now . Detailed Map of Powell He also was an associate editor at 5280 and a reporter for the Vail Daily. The lake is set to reach. The elevations listed in the August 2022 24-Month Study report reflected the projected physical elevations at each reservoir after implementing operations as described for water year 2023 tier determination purposes. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun), How Denver is spending the $41M from the Broncos sale, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. 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. CNN's Bill Weir has more. water-data.com Lake Powell Water Database. Lake Powells water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; For additional information, the news release can be found here: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294. //-->, Printable Version https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294, https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4196, USGS site #09180500 - Colorado River near Cisco, UT, USGS site #09315000 - Green River at Green River, UT, USGS site #09379500 - San Juan River near Bluff, UT, USGS site #09380000 - Colorado River at Lees Ferry, AZ, Snowpack Conditions Upper Colorado Region Above Lake Powell, Lake Powell Inflow Forecast April-July Inflow Forecast, Current Water Year Inflow Forecast Monthly Outlooks, Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, LTEMP - Long-Term Experimental & Management Plan, Report to Congress - Operations of Glen Canyon Dam - Water Year 2015-2016, National Park Service Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. View CFS Last 14 Measurements Lake Powell is down -1.03 feet over these measurements Averages for February 27th Last 10 February 27th's data records The Bureau of Reclamation's most recent projections show Lake Mead dropping to 1,033.4 feet in elevation by the end of 2023, about 14 feet lower than the reservoir's current level. 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. Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powells water level. If you have feedback on content, format, or publication frequency, please contact us. In addition to daily scheduled fluctuations for power generation, the instantaneous releases from Glen Canyon Dam may also fluctuate to provide 40 megawatts (MW) of system regulation. The water levels at Lake Powell have dropped around 100 feet in the last three years. Our editorial policy and donor list can be viewed atwateredco.org. Becky Mitchell is director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the states lead water planning agency. 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 . This was the lowest water levels have been since the lake was first constructed in the 1930s. Based on the current forecast of 10.44 maf unregulated inflow for water year 2023, the February 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell elevation will end water year 2023 near 3555.45 feet with approximately 7.47 maf in storage (32 percent of capacity). 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. Lake Mead was at elevation 1,064.30 ft. with storage of 8.753 maf or 34 percent of capacity. Lake Powells side branches had all retreated compared to the previous years extents. Its not a hypothetical situation anymore.. Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM Level is 178.87 feet Lund said he expects water use in the basin to have "capped out," but the reservoir can't continue to supply water at the pace in which the area consumes it. endstream endobj startxref Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. 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. 2022, a day after Southern California delared a water . At the west end of Narrow Canyon, the Dirty Devil River joins the lake from the north. Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. "I would be reluctant to limit it to years just since 2000, because I think there is some value in acknowledging the variability that goes on in our basin," he says. Up to 80 percent of water use in the basin is for agricultural purposes, but urban water conservation serves an important purpose, too. SW Satellite Weather google_ad_height = 600; 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. The model is based on weather conditions over a thirty-year span. Hourly releases during February 2023 will fluctuate from a low of approximately 5,797 cfs during the early morning hours to a high of 10,091 cfs during the afternoon and evening hours. The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. At the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. Jerd Smith is editor of Fresh Water News. The NOAA forecast center begins releasing monthly water supply forecasts for the Colorado River Basin in December. | March 17, 2022, 6:57 a.m. As predicted, southern Utah's Lake Powell has fallen below a critical level that soon could threaten its ability . New 1991-2020 Averages being used this year. The forecast for water year 2023 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell, issued on January 5, 2023, by the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, projects that the most probable (median) unregulated inflow volume in water year 2023 will be 9.5 maf (99 percent of average). The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. To view the current inflow forecast relative to past inflows, click on Lake Powell Inflow Forecast. According to the Bureau of Reclamation's website (on March 22, 2022), Lake Under a Drought Contingency Plan adopted in 2019, approximately 500 thousand acre-feet (kaf) of water will come from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, located approximately 455 river miles upstream of Lake Powell. The lake level began to rebound; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the trend toward rising water levels. But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. google_color_text = "000000"; It will be among the lowest years of generation ever, said Nick Williams, power manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region in an interview last week. However, the Bureau of Reclamation's 24-month forecast that was just released at the end of last week projects Lake Mead to be at 1,041.10 feet in January 2023. Dry conditions and falling water levels were unmistakable in the image from April 13, 2003. "We might get lucky with the weather, but the idea of the system recovering is really hard unless you reduce water use in that basin," Lund told Newsweek. Some Arizona cities have implemented drought management plans to conserve water, but the area continues to use water at a rate that negates Lake Powell's recovery. Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. In July 2021, water levels on the lake fell to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; If Glen Canyon Dam ceases to operate, we are going to have to replace that power somewhere else and it will have a bigger carbon footprint, said Bryan Hannegan, CEO of Holy Cross Energy, which buys Lake Powells hydropower to serve customers in Western Colorado. In July 2022, the lake reached a historic low of 1,040 feet above sea level. Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. The Water Desk launched in April 2019 with support from the Walton Family Foundation. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Powell was last within 2" of this elevation on Feb 11, 2023 There are currently 1,757,155,460,140 gallons of water in Lake Powell! Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. Lake Powell is at low for water year and down 9.26 feet from the high. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. For five years after 2012, snow- and rainfall totals were generally low, as the region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought. Lake Powell is so low that it is nearing a dead pool, in which water levels aren't high enough to deliver water downstream. As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. 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