Lake Powell Nears Record Lows at 23% Capacity as Bleak Snowpack, Heatwave Halt Recovery
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
Lake Powell Nears Record Lows at 23% Capacity as Bleak Snowpack, Heatwave Halt Recovery
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 7
Summary
5.6 million acre-feet of water—about 23% of capacity—left Lake Powell near its annual low at the end of June, and experts expect the reservoir to sink to unprecedented fall levels.
Historically weak mountain snowpack and a record March heatwave meant spring runoff barely lifted the lake this year, even after supplemental releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir upstream.
37 feet above turbine-failure level, Powell is edging closer to risks for Glen Canyon hydropower, which supplies nearly 6 million households and businesses.
Seven Colorado River basin states still have no deal on conserving supplies for 40 million people, and the US Bureau of Reclamation could impose its own cuts as soon as next month.
Cities including Phoenix and San Diego are pursuing recycling, desalination-linked transfers and other workarounds as experts warn long-term warming is forcing a rewrite of Colorado River water rules.
As a century-old water law fails, what replaces it to manage a shrinking Colorado River?
Can costly tech like desalination save 40 million people when the Colorado River is disappearing?
With states preparing for lawsuits, is a legal 'water war' now inevitable for the American West?
Colorado River Basin in Peril: Lake Powell’s Record Lows, Drought, and the Urgent Need for Reform
Overview
Lake Powell is facing an immediate crisis as it hits unprecedented low water levels after more than a decade of decline, with shorelines steadily receding since 2012. This historic drop has forced emergency measures, such as developing new low-level drinking water connections for communities like Page, Arizona, to ensure continued water supply as the lake keeps falling. The situation is disrupting recreational activities across the river basin and threatening essential services. Without significant changes or increased precipitation, Lake Powell is expected to remain at these low levels, highlighting the urgent need for long-term solutions to secure water and energy for the region.