The bureau, in consultation with tribal nations and the seven Colorado River Basin states, decided to keep nearly 500,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Powell that had originally been planned to be released to the Lower Basin states of Nevada, Arizona and California this year. 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. google_color_text = "000000"; Detailed Map of Powell Lake Powells side branches had all retreated compared to the previous years extents. Flight 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. The Colorado River cuts through dry land that was once covered by Lake Powell on September 7, 2022, near Hite, Utah. Under the current most probable forecast, the total water year 2023 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell is projected to be 10.44 maf (109 percent of average). //-->, Printable Version 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. That reference period is updated once a decade; it now begins in the 1990s. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. 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. The unregulated inflow volume to Lake Powell during January was 361 thousand acre-feet (kaf) (107 percent of average). Becky Mitchell is director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the states lead water planning agency. Precipitation declines combined with booming urban populations will present a significant challenge to Western water managers in the near future. average basin temperatures and precipitation for the forecast period. Releases from Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies. 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. The March 2023 releases are anticipated to fluctuate between a low of 5,276 cfs to a high of 9,641 cfs. 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. google_color_text = "000000"; Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News, PublishedFebruary 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM MST. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; Please contact the Operations Group via e-mail at ResourceMgr@usbr.gov for additional information. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. The peak inflow to Lake Powell occurs in mid- to late spring, as the winter snow in the Rocky Mountains melts. Updated: 10:18 PM MDT April 26, 2022 DENVER Lake Powell, on the Utah-Arizona state line, is part of a river system that supplies water to 40 million people. 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. View our Current Membership Thank You Gifts, KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public Radio | A 59% flow into Powell translates to about 3.8 million acre-feet. From there, a swing to the northeast delivers boats into Lake Powell's main artery. New 1991-2020 Averages being used this year. 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. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. 15 Day Weather Forecast Significant amounts of snowfall over the winter of 20102011 meant more water for Lake Powell, and this effect lasted into the spring of 2012. We have to take a strong look at what we will do in the unlikely event that Lake Powell stops producing hydropower, said WAPAs Meiman. google_ad_type = "text_image"; google_color_link = "0000FF"; Click for . 159 0 obj <> endobj 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. 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. 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. Lund said that throughout the reservoir's history, it has refilled to its original levels just once. We are 37% through the Water Year. " 9`SADP zg Ab``#@ 7 3 An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. %%EOF The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powells water levels. The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. Under a Drought Contingency Plan adopted in 2019, approximately 500 thousand acre-feet (kaf) of water will come from Flaming Gorge Reservoir, located approximately 455 river miles upstream of Lake Powell. Were an initiative of theCenter for Environmental Journalismat the University of Colorado Boulder. For five years after 2012, snow- and rainfall totals were generally low, as the region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought. Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Geological Survey for comment. Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM Level is 178.87 feet (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun), How Denver is spending the $41M from the Broncos sale, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. The Colorado River flows from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado through the southwestern United States. As air warms over time, less precipitation makes it to the reservoirs due to evaporation. The DROA coordination will continue until either (i) the minimum probable projected elevation remains above 3,525 feet for 24 months or (ii) the process moves to the next step when the most probable projected elevation indicates Powell elevations below 3,525 feet and a Drought Response Operations Plan is developed. google_ad_width = 160; She also sits on the Upper Colorado River Commission. The drop in the power forecast comes as Upper Colorado River Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming prepare to finalize a new drought operations plan for the giant river system. 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). But a long-term drying trend began in the year 2000. Snow levels will fall to the lowest locations Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before the storm exits eastern Arizona Thursday afternoon. 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. 15 Day Weather Forecast (Due to the angle of sunlight, this image may cause an optical illusion known as relief inversion.). google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; With low-runoff conditions and . Previous forecasts showed this was possible and the Bureau of Reclamation announced on March 4 that a . (For comparison, the 1991-2020 total water year average is 9.60 maf.) 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). Lake Powell