Few expected to ever see this drop in hydropower production, let alone consider what to do if Glen Canyon were to cease electricity production entirely. 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. In March 2022, it fell below a critical level of 3,525 feet above sea levelthe lake's target elevation. " 9`SADP zg Ab``#@ 7 3 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 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. Late last fall WAPA, which operates the electric grid and distributes the power to utilities, raised rates 30% to cover reductions in power revenue. 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 model is based on weather conditions over a thirty-year span. google_ad_client = "pub-0146338466817273"; The May report, released last week, is the final runoff prediction for the season. Jian Wang of Utahs Center for Colorado River Studies says that means the projections may be too optimistic. However, these responses can have a noticeable impact on the river downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. 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 the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents (At normal water levels, both rivers are essentially part of the reservoir.) Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. That reference period is updated once a decade; it now begins in the 1990s. Committee on the Scientific Bases of Colorado River Basin Water Management, National Research Council. But it is concerning. Lake Powell, Printable Version Detailed Map of Powell 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. It took decades for Lake Powell to reach catastrophically low levels, and according to one expert . But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. System emergencies occur fairly infrequently and typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam. 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. Part of the Glen Canyon Conservancy Family, Utah D.O.T Charles Hall Ferry for UT Route 276. Becky Mitchell is director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the states lead water planning agency. He also was an associate editor at 5280 and a reporter for the Vail Daily. Lake Mead was at elevation 1,064.30 ft. with storage of 8.753 maf or 34 percent of capacity. Gas Prices on Lake Projections of end of water year 2023 elevation using the February minimum and January maximum inflow forecast results are 3,544.04 feet and 3,582.24 feet, respectively. The Upper Basin reservoirs have already provided 161,000 acre-feet of water pursuant to the imminent need provision of the Drought Response Operations Agreement, including 36,000 acre-feet from Blue Mesa Reservoir in Colorado. 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. 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. 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. n$L{Z. In the image acquired on May 1, 2004, the reservoirs northwestern branch is isolated from the main reservoir; the shallow water upstream could not crest raised areas in the lakebed. 04:12 - Source: CNN The sediment-filled Colorado River appeared green-brown. google_ad_client = "pub-0146338466817273"; 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. Click for . GCC is the official nonprofit partner of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area & Rainbow Bridge National Monument. 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). Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. From there, a swing to the northeast delivers boats into Lake Powell's main artery. The draft plan is expected to be released next week, according to Becki Bryant, a spokeswoman for Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region. 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. swE{,,;o0U|+/ :u7j@;pGh00gr\j30sAD+ ON 9 Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. Close Become a member Login My Account Logout Search for:Search News Education Health Coloradans Equity Sun Investigation Crime and Courts Culture Sports inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . 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. 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 Current snowpack conditions for Upper Colorado River region Lake & # x27 ; s the weather forecast for 2050 for... Times the average annual flow amount of water needed to fill one acre of land a. 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