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. 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. As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. Cheap sewer pipe repairs can push toxic fumes into homes and schools heres Hard water: In these metro neighborhoods, few drink the tap water. Precipitation was better, but still slightly below normal in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Snow levels will fall to the lowest locations Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before the storm exits eastern Arizona Thursday afternoon. But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. The lake level began to rebound; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the trend toward rising water levels. The forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot of variables, said Lisa Meiman, a spokeswoman for WAPA. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; The final NOAA forecast for the season predicts the amount of water to reach Lake Powell this year to be about 60% of average. With low-runoff conditions and . Now, though, we know that its not firm, its not reliable, and its coming at a much higher cost.. The declines were first apparent in the side canyons feeding the reservoir which thinned and then shortened. 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. The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powells water levels. According to Reclamation, there is a 27% chance that Powell will still stop generating electricity completely over the next four years. 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). The probable maximum inflow scenario reflects a wet hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 10 percent of the time. A Tier 3 shortage would impact the amount of . She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. Lake Mead was at elevation 1,064.30 ft. with storage of 8.753 maf or 34 percent of capacity. WEco is funded by multiple donors. The Colorado River cuts through dry land that was once covered by Lake Powell on September 7, 2022, near Hite, Utah. 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. Releases from Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies. There is approximately an 80 percent probability that a future elevation will fall inside the range of the minimum and maximum inflow scenarios. We need to get ourselves prepared," he says. 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. Low water effects to launch ramps and services top Lake Powell Elevation (05/18/2022) 3526.05 ft Stay in the know! Despite those releases, Powell dropped below 3,525 last month, hitting 3,523, another historic drought landmark. 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. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. Learn more at, Photos: Heron Lake, New Mexico, August 2022, Data viz: Elephant Butte Reservoir levels, to increase the volume, depth and power of journalism, https://www.watereducationcolorado.org/fresh-water-news/, www.watereducationcolorado.org/fresh-water-news/. The January 2023 24-Month Study probable maximum and the February 2023 24-Month Study probable minimum inflow scenarios were used to determine the range of probable outcomes. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; Detailed Map of Powell For additional information, see the following news release: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4196. Lake Powell, Printable Version 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. That reference period is updated once a decade; it now begins in the 1990s. Lake Powell is currently 390.33 feet deep at the dam. Scientists say the current drought is the driest on record in the last twelve hundred years. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. A Colorado River flows drop and tensions rise, water interests struggle Can the Ancient Humpback Chub Hang On in Todays Grand Canyon? 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. google_color_link = "0000FF"; 159 0 obj <> endobj A 59% flow into Powell translates to about 3.8 million acre-feet. Please contact the Operations Group via e-mail at ResourceMgr@usbr.gov for additional information. The amount of water predicted to flow into Lake Powell this year is down slightly from the previous month, according to the May report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. Lake Powell Water Supply Outlook, February 1, 2022 Note: This publication is scheduled for revision. 8_9dyB`n`` +30|@,6a # The peak inflow to Lake Powell occurs in mid- to late spring, as the winter snow in the Rocky Mountains melts. An initiative of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder. 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. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. 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. Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. In water year 2021 unregulated inflow volume to Lake Powell was 3.50 maf (36 percent of average), the second driest year on record above 2002. 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. Water supply forecasts take into consideration present hydrometeorological conditions and use 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! At the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. 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. Lake Powell has fallen victim to excessive water use as a 20-year drought parches the region. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. 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. Last Reading: 3522.33 on Feb 12, 2023. The forecast isnt great, said Kyle Whitaker, Colorado River Manager for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, one of the largest diverters of water in the headwaters region of the river. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. It can store about five times the average annual flow. The Water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth and power of journalismconnected to Western water issues. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. For additional information, the news release can be found here: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294. 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. Boats docked at Lake Powell on July 13 . She also sits on the Upper Colorado River Commission. Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents 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. So, it takes awhile to fill and it takes awhile to empty.". 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). google_ad_type = "text_image"; The May report, released last week, is the final runoff prediction for the season. U.S. Arizona Drought Climate Change Water Conservation. Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. 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. It took decades for Lake Powell to reach catastrophically low levels, and according to one expert . 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