Reclamation will continue to carefully monitor hydrologic and operational conditions and assess the need for additional responsive actions and/or changes to operations. 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. 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 . google_ad_width = 160; Releases from Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies. Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. The draft plan is expected to be released next week, according to Becki Bryant, a spokeswoman for Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region. Late last fall WAPA, which operates the electric grid and distributes the power to utilities, raised rates 30% to cover reductions in power revenue. Lake Powell is at low for water year and down 9.26 feet from the high. Water managers, who . Committee on the Scientific Bases of Colorado River Basin Water Management, National Research Council. 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. The final NOAA forecast for the season predicts the amount of water to reach Lake Powell this year to be about 60% of average. google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; 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. U.S. Arizona Drought Climate Change Water Conservation. In the early years of this image series, water levels began to drop. 0.523 maf in Lake Powell from December 2022 through April 2023. //2006-10-04: news Surface Water Elevation (feet) Lake Powell End of Month Elevations1 . The most probable inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 50 percent of the time. Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. 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. The lake is set to reach. 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! A Tier 3 shortage would impact the amount of . 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. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; 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 Anna Skinner On 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST. U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. Boats docked at Lake Powell on July 13 . google_color_link = "0000FF"; The system is appreciated for the water it supplies, but criticized for the environmental problems and cultural losses that have resulted from its creation. 2022, a day after Southern California delared a water . Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. In March 2022, it fell below a critical level of 3,525 feet above sea levelthe lake's target elevation. 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! levels. According to the Bureau of Reclamation's website (on March 22, 2022), Lake The probable maximum inflow scenario reflects a wet hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 10 percent of the time. google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; Melissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents. The nation's second-largest reservoir is under pressure from climate change and steady demand, and is now . We are 37% through the Water Year. Utahs Flaming Gorge, Colorados Blue Mesa and New Mexicos Navajo. (2007). 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. Encompassing all or parts of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. //-->, Printable Version Climate change also plays a part. . But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. Today is day 151 of 365 for the Water Year 2023. 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. A 59% flow into Powell translates to about 3.8 million acre-feet. " 9`SADP zg Ab``#@ 7 3 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. 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. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . 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. Even in low emission climate scenarios (forecasts that are based on the assumption that future carbon dioxide emissions will increase relatively slowly), models predict precipitation may decline by 20-25 percent over most of California, southern Nevada, and Arizona by the end of this century. It wasnt just the Powell number that dipped, although the amount of runoff that makes its way to Powell each year is considered a good barometer for conditions basinwide. 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).. Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM Level is 178.87 feet Lake Powells side branches had all retreated compared to the previous years extents. 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. average basin temperatures and precipitation for the forecast period. 159 0 obj <> endobj 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. The NOAA forecast center begins releasing monthly water supply forecasts for the Colorado River Basin in December. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. As air warms over time, less precipitation makes it to the reservoirs due to evaporation. CNN's Bill Weir has more. Fresh Water News is an independent, non-partisan news initiative of Water Education Colorado. Note that projections of elevation and storage for water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the season. Jian Wang of Utahs Center for Colorado River Studies says that means the projections may be too optimistic. At the beginning of water year 2023, total system storage in the Colorado River Basin was 19.54 maf (33 percent of 58.48 maf total system capacity). Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. The May report, released last week, is the final runoff prediction for the season. 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. It can store about five times the average annual flow. Precipitation was better, but still slightly below normal in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Lake Powells water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. As the forecast season progresses, DATE MEASURED ELEVATION CHANGE CONTENT INFLOW OUTFLOW HIGH TEMP LOW TEMP WATER TEMP . 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. 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. 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. Antelope Point Launch Ramp Bullfrog Main Launch Ramp 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. 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. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. The declines were first apparent in the side canyons feeding the reservoir which thinned and then shortened. 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. If you have feedback on content, format, or publication frequency, please contact us. But the region is battling a multidecade drought with rain harder to come by. As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. KNAUs Melissa Sevigny reports. By Leia Larsen. Significant amounts of snowfall over the winter of 20102011 meant more water for Lake Powell, and this effect lasted into the spring of 2012. WEco is funded by multiple donors. SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites Level 3 Shortage Condition 1,025 ft and below Elevation 1,090 ft Elevation 1,045 ft Historical Future In January, following the wet December Moser noted, the NOAA forecast called for 98% of the 30-year average to reach Powell. 2018 brought some relief after a wet winter. 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. In the main body of Lake Powell, water pooled along its eastern edge, while large expanses of dry canyon floor were visible in the west. At the west end of Narrow Canyon, the Dirty Devil River joins the lake from the north. The peak inflow to Lake Powell occurs in mid- to late spring, as the winter snow in the Rocky Mountains melts. To view the current inflow forecast relative to past inflows, click on Lake Powell Inflow Forecast. So, it takes awhile to fill and it takes awhile to empty.". 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. google_ad_type = "text_image"; Water Data for 20 days surrounding Feb 28, 2022. 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. On Tuesday, the lake fell below 3,525 feet above sea level, a key target elevation that water managers have been trying to keep Powell above because it provides a buffer from the minimum level at which Glen Canyon Dam can generate power. hVmO0+_'"Bi?H!R`Mkwj3#tq@x k8,Q\yDIU>H Much of that water. That projection is about 12 feet higher than the 2023 end-of-year mark in the bureau's forecast from December. Last Reading: 3522.33 on Feb 12, 2023. Lake Powell