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). For five years after 2012, snow- and rainfall totals were generally low, as the region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought. The most probable inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 50 percent of the time. Please contact the Operations Group via e-mail at ResourceMgr@usbr.gov for additional information. The draft plan is expected to be released next week, according to Becki Bryant, a spokeswoman for Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region. 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. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. In July 2021, water levels on the lake fell to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. Its not a hypothetical situation anymore.. Flight Center. In January, following the wet December Moser noted, the NOAA forecast called for 98% of the 30-year average to reach Powell. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. Water Data for 20 days surrounding Feb 28, 2022. Graphical view of Lake Powell water data. Shifting the period of record decreased the average unregulated inflow 1.20 maf. But the region is battling a multidecade drought with rain harder to come by. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; Lake Powell water level at Wahweap Marina in September 2021 | Photo by Bureau of Reclamation, St. George News . //-->, Printable Version Lake Powell Water Level including historical chart. 15 Day Weather Forecast By Anna Skinner On 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST. Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. Our editorial policy and donor list can be viewed atwateredco.org. Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. Lake Powells side branches had all retreated compared to the previous years extents. 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. But it is concerning. Fresh Water News is an independent, nonpartisan news initiative of Water Education Colorado. (For comparison, the 1991-2020 total water year average is 9.60 maf.) It took decades for Lake Powell to reach catastrophically low levels, and according to one expert, it'll take a long time to restore the levels, too. water-data.com Lake Powell Water Database. 0.523 maf in Lake Powell from December 2022 through April 2023. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Success Stories. Water levels in Narrow Canyon had dropped enough to show canyon floor features not visible in earlier images. 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. A powerful winter storm will enter AZ early Tuesday night with rain and snow showers increasing across the region after midnight. As the forecast season progresses, The Water Desk launched in April 2019 with support from the Walton Family Foundation. Since the beginning of water year 2000, total Colorado Basin storage has experienced year to year increases and decreases in response to wet and dry hydrology, ranging from a high of 94 percent of capacity at the beginning of 2000 to the now current level of 33 percent of capacity at the beginning of water year 2023. Encompassing all or parts of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. This level is actually .02 feet . That projection is about 12 feet higher than the 2023 end-of-year mark in the bureau's forecast from December. Becky Mitchell is director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the states lead water planning agency. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. google_color_url = "426C95"; System emergencies occur fairly infrequently and typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam. Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. His freelance Wang suggests updating the reference period more frequently or using the last 20 years as the baseline. n$L{Z. 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. Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. :pNB/gb2D0p6Ecb
:qD_q7wE42TOOSW:Oa^(-]p7y|iZ.8uq:}1y3bJ]!G ) ytRdJp2 +[|}QpEU}V'k{yeKud"xl_-x lJ!UZ`,n!\3{dcb monthly forecasts become more accurate. DATE MEASURED ELEVATION CHANGE CONTENT INFLOW OUTFLOW HIGH TEMP LOW TEMP WATER TEMP . The Glen Canyon Dam annual release has initially been set to 7.00 maf, and in April 2023 Reclamation will evaluate hydrologic conditions to determine if balancing releases may be appropriate under the conditions established in the 2007 Interim Guidelines; Balancing releases will be limited (with a minimum of 7.00 maf) to protect Lake Powell from declining below elevation 3,525 feet at the end of December 2023; Balancing releases will take into account operational neutrality of the 0.480 maf that was retained in Lake Powell under the. 0
The sediment-filled Colorado River appeared green-brown. WEco is funded by multiple donors. The annual release volume from Lake Powell during water year 2023 will be 7.77 maf under the Lower Elevation Balancing Tier and will balance the contents between Powell and Mead with annual release volumes from Glen Canyon Dam between 7.00 maf and 9.50 maf as determined under Section 6.D.1 and 7.D of the Interim Guidelines as determined by the Department of the Interior as described above. 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 reduction of releases from Glen Canyon Dam in water year 2022 (resulting in increased storage in Lake Powell) will not affect future operating determinations and will be accounted for as if this volume of water had been delivered to Lake Mead. Official Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Changing Lake Levels Info. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents Based on the current forecast of 10.44 maf unregulated inflow for water year 2023, the February 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell elevation will end water year 2023 near 3555.45 feet with approximately 7.47 maf in storage (32 percent of capacity). To view the most current monthly release projections, click on: Lake Powell Release Projections. 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. The Colorado River cuts through dry land that was once covered by Lake Powell on September 7, 2022, near Hite, Utah. Antelope Point Launch Ramp Bullfrog Main Launch Ramp CNN's Bill Weir has more. KNAU's Melissa Sevigny reports. 04:12 - Source: CNN a greater portion of the future hydrologic and climatic uncertainty becomes known and google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; Utahs Flaming Gorge, Colorados Blue Mesa and New Mexicos Navajo. View our Current Membership Thank You Gifts, KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public Radio | Releases from Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies. Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. 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. 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. The last couple months have steadied out a little bit, Cody Moser, a senior hydrologist with NOAA forecast center, said during a recent web briefing to review the most recent report. Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. The unregulated inflow volume to Lake Powell during January was 361 thousand acre-feet (kaf) (107 percent of average). For additional information, the news release can be found here: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294. Soil moisture conditions have improved over the last year across most of Colorados Western Slope, but thats not necessarily saying much because of how bad soil moisture conditions were heading into last years snowmelt runoff season, Moser said. Feet above sea level Change - Feet difference over previous . Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Wind affected on the west and south facing aspects of the Gore Range seen on, April 7, 2022, near Vail. So, it takes awhile to fill and it takes awhile to empty.". google_color_url = "426C95"; inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . The modeling approach for WY 2023 will apply to 2024. 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. Water supply forecasts take into consideration present hydrometeorological conditions and use The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powell's water levels. 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. Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. The final NOAA forecast for the season predicts the amount of water to reach Lake Powell this year to be about 60% of average. 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. 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. 15 Day Weather Forecast google_color_link = "0000FF"; In the latter half of the decade, the drought eased somewhat. Gas Prices on Lake Lake Powell