In the latter half of the decade, the drought eased somewhat. Changes in the northeastern reaches of Lake Powell are documented in this series of natural-color images taken by the Landsat series of satellites between 1999 and 2021. But generally below-normal precipitation the last several months after a very wet December.. Water supply forecast volumes decreased across most of the region, Moser said during the webinar. The lake is set to reach. This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents. 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. By 2002, the lake level had dropped far enough that the exposed canyon walls created a pale outline around the lake. Lake Powell has fallen victim to excessive water use as a 20-year drought parches the region. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Global warming is expected to make droughts more severe in the future. 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. 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. The DROA coordination will continue until either (i) the minimum probable projected elevation remains above 3,525 feet for 24 months or (ii) the process moves to the next step when the most probable projected elevation indicates Powell elevations below 3,525 feet and a Drought Response Operations Plan is developed. 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). Lake Mead's water levels . Together with the release of more water into Lake Powell from an upstream dam, the decision will keep the lake at a level at which it can continue generating hydropower for the next 12 months. This level is actually .02 feet . endstream
endobj
160 0 obj
<>/Metadata 41 0 R/Pages 157 0 R/StructTreeRoot 59 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences 177 0 R>>
endobj
161 0 obj
<>/MediaBox[0 0 792 612]/Parent 157 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>>
endobj
162 0 obj
<>stream
Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. 2022, a day after Southern California delared a water . Mitchell declined to discuss the pending drought operations plan. 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. 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. KNAUs Melissa Sevigny reports. 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. Precipitation declines combined with booming urban populations will present a significant challenge to Western water managers in the near future. As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. 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. This is the big warning bell.. He said the soil moisture conditions were still well below normal across western Colorado, particularly in the southwest part of the state. For more information on the tools we use, consult, Upper Colorado Mainstem Specific Site Forecasts. Lake Powell is so low that it is nearing a dead pool, in which water levels aren't high enough to deliver water downstream. Gas Prices on Lake We have to take a strong look at what we will do in the unlikely event that Lake Powell stops producing hydropower, said WAPAs Meiman. The reduction of releases from Lake Powell from 7.48 maf to 7.00 maf in water year 2022 resulted in a reduced release volume of 0.480 maf that normally would have been released from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead as part of the 7.48 maf annual release volume, consistent with operations under the 2007 Interim Guidelines. View our Current Membership Thank You Gifts, KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public Radio | However, these responses can have a noticeable impact on the river downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. Part of the Glen Canyon Conservancy Family, Utah D.O.T Charles Hall Ferry for UT Route 276. google_ad_client = "pub-0146338466817273"; 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. WEco is funded by multiple donors. google_color_url = "426C95"; 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. We are 37% through the Water Year. 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
Across the region, water utilities are in high-alert mode, preparing for another dry year on the Colorado River and holding hope that the Upper Basin reservoirs can be protected as long as possible from large-scale drought releases. If you have feedback on content, format, or publication frequency, please contact us. 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). Boats docked at Lake Powell on July 13 . The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powells water levels. 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). 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 SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites 0
He began his journalism career in New Hampshire, then moved West and became a reporter at the Lafayette News. Climate change also plays a part. To view the 2023 progession of snowpack above Lake Powell, click on Lake Powell Snow Chart. An initiative of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder. In January, following the wet December Moser noted, the NOAA forecast called for 98% of the 30-year average to reach Powell. Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. The sediment-filled Colorado River appeared green-brown. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. @) .=] j Bvq2 4=B4[YCO@p/e`5[ #("A3?M|Cd(Jje(B_il:.\7m=.{CZ&&q5O}NOB6jGptUEN1Dh'6dW30oLqmt1W#F/qy<5aJ5
LuQmB(JD'4z`9q#v k[ T Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. 04:12 - Source: CNN 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. 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. For five years after 2012, snow- and rainfall totals were generally low, as the region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought. google_ad_client = "pub-0146338466817273"; 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. Today is day 151 of 365 for the Water Year 2023. 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. The modeling approach for WY 2023 will apply to 2024. Correction: This article has been corrected to indicate that Lake Powell began filling 59 years ago, not 60 years, as the original article stated. Surface Water Elevation (feet) Lake Powell End of Month Elevations1 . //-->, Printable Version Lake Powell is now at a historic low. In July 2022, the lake reached a historic low of 1,040 feet above sea level. google_ad_type = "text_image"; 2018 brought some relief after a wet winter. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. 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. 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). 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. 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! 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. 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. 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. Along its route, the river passes through an elaborate water-management system designed to tame the yearly floods from spring snowmelt and to provide a reliable supply of water for residents as far away as California. "This is probably the largest reservoir system in the country in terms of storage. The Water Desk launched in April 2019 with support from the Walton Family Foundation. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; The declines were first apparent in the side canyons feeding the reservoir which thinned and then shortened. Were an initiative of theCenter for Environmental Journalismat the University of Colorado Boulder. By Leia Larsen. "As a result of this update, the median water year 2022 inflow forecast into Lake Powell decreased by 800,000 acre-feet," USBR stated in a press release distributed Thursday. The May report, released last week, is the final runoff prediction for the season. " 9`SADP zg Ab``#@ 7
3
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. 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. The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powell's water levels. Water availability, appropriate timing of releases, and impacts on other resources are all being considered as the 2022 Plan is being drafted.. Chris Outcalt covers Western water issues for The Colorado Sun. We need to get ourselves prepared," he says. There is a 10 percent chance that inflows could be higher than the current maximum probable forecast and a 10 percent chance that inflows could be lower than the minimum probable forecast. Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Geological Survey for comment. Lake Powells water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert. Using the approach described in the immediately preceding paragraph, the August 2022 24-Month Study projected the January 1, 2023, Lake Powell elevation to be less than 3,525 feet. 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. Snow levels will fall to the lowest locations Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before the storm exits eastern Arizona Thursday afternoon. Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; The northwestern side branch of Lake Powell remained cut off from the rest of the reservoir. 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. 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. Melissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powell's water levels. The final NOAA forecast for the season predicts the amount of water to reach Lake Powell this year to be about 60% of average. At the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. 15 Day Weather Forecast Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at . Lake Powell