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(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. Official Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Changing Lake Levels Info. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. swE{,,;o0U|+/ :u7j@;pGh00gr\j30sAD+ ON 9 Specifically, Reclamation modeled operations in WY 2023 as follows in the August and September 24-Month Studies: In accordance with the May 3rd Letter, consistent with the provisions of the 2007 Interim Guidelines, and to preserve the benefits to Glen Canyon Dam facilities from 2022 Operations into 2023 and 2024, Reclamation will consult with the Basin States on monthly and annual operations. Lake Mead's water levels . CNN's Bill Weir has more. The lake level began to rebound; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the trend toward rising water levels. With low-runoff conditions and . Dry conditions and falling water levels were unmistakable in the image from April 13, 2003. Global warming is expected to make droughts more severe in the future. 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. Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. Climate change also plays a part. The unregulated inflow volume to Lake Powell during January was 361 thousand acre-feet (kaf) (107 percent of average). 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. Across most of the streams and rivers of the Upper Basin, forecasted runoff ranges from very poor (50% of average) to mediocre (80% of average).. Powell was last within 2" of this elevation on Feb 11, 2023 There are currently 1,757,155,460,140 gallons of water in Lake Powell! It took decades for Lake Powell to reach catastrophically low levels, and according to one expert . . The March 2023 releases are anticipated to fluctuate between a low of 5,276 cfs to a high of 9,641 cfs. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. Up to 80 percent of water use in the basin is for agricultural purposes, but urban water conservation serves an important purpose, too. 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. Melissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; google_ad_client = "pub-0146338466817273"; U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. Water Data for 20 days surrounding Feb 28, 2022. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. Today is day 151 of 365 for the Water Year 2023. Note that projections of elevation and storage for water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the season. 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. Differences between the full period forecasts and the residual forecasts may not exactly equal the actual observed volumes due to rounding conventions (see Definitions section). Becky Mitchell is director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the states lead water planning agency. //2006-10-04: news The system is appreciated for the water it supplies, but criticized for the environmental problems and cultural losses that have resulted from its creation. Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for elevations above 4000.Heavy accumulations of 10-20 are forecast above 6000, 3-8 to 4500 and several inches to valley floors. google_ad_width = 160; His freelance View CFS Last 14 Measurements Lake Powell is down -1.03 feet over these measurements Averages for February 27th Last 10 February 27th's data records Lake Powell is at low for water year and down 9.26 feet from the high. For more information on the tools we use, consult, Upper Colorado Mainstem Specific Site Forecasts. GCC is the official nonprofit partner of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area & Rainbow Bridge National Monument. //-->, Printable Version average basin temperatures and precipitation for the forecast period. 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. As the forecast season progresses, 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. 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. 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. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert. endstream endobj startxref google_color_link = "0000FF"; 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. The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. Back then, Hannegan said, We made an assumption that our WAPA (Western Area Power Administration) allocation would be firm, reliable and always there. There is approximately an 80 percent probability that a future elevation will fall inside the range of the minimum and maximum inflow scenarios. 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. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. 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. It can store about five times the average annual flow. This is a decrease of 3.33 maf over the total storage at the beginning of water year 2022 when total system storage was 22.87 maf (39 percent of capacity). levels. Much of that water. By Anna Skinner On 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST. A Tier 3 shortage would impact the amount of . That reference period is updated once a decade; it now begins in the 1990s. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents. Its better than last year, but well just have to see what the next two to four weeks holds for precipitation.. 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. n$L{Z. 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. The forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot of variables, said Lisa Meiman, a spokeswoman for WAPA. Upper Colorado River Basin regularly experiences significant year to year hydrologic variability. 175 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<68753438768B134985CC80C922059B30>]/Index[159 34]/Info 158 0 R/Length 84/Prev 199590/Root 160 0 R/Size 193/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream Wednesday snow and wind will be heavy at times leading to difficult if not impossible travel. 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. google_color_url = "426C95"; Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. For additional information, the news release can be found here: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294. But generally below-normal precipitation the last several months after a very wet December.. Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. Upper Colorado Region Water Operations: Current Status: Lake Powell, Spring Snow Brings Moisture to Colorado Front Range, NASA Goddard Space Were going to be generating less than we have in quite some time. google_ad_channel ="2397569894"; What's the weather forecast for 2050? water-data.com Lake Powell Water Database. 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. Both Moser and Lukas said that dry soil moisture conditions across the Colorado River Basin, which can sponge off valuable runoff before the water makes it into rivers and streams, wont be quite as bad as last year but will still be a negative factor. Lukas noted that the dry soil conditions are factored into the NOAA runoff predictions from the get-go so there shouldnt necessarily be any big surprises with that particular variable. The water levels at Lake Powell have dropped around 100 feet in the last three years. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. 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). Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizona's Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. 2018 brought some relief after a wet winter. Additionally, there are possible inflow scenarios that would result in reservoir elevations falling outside the ranges indicated in these reports. She reported that, as of March 16, 2022, Lake Powell was at an elevation of 3,524.83 feet (ft.) with storage of 5.916 million acre-feet (maf) or 24 percent of capacity. But the 30-year period is the standard reference worldwide and captures more variability, according to Paul Miller of the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. So, it takes awhile to fill and it takes awhile to empty.". Feet above sea level Change - Feet difference over previous . | March 17, 2022, 6:57 a.m. As predicted, southern Utah's Lake Powell has fallen below a critical level that soon could threaten its ability . Despite those releases, Powell dropped below 3,525 last month, hitting 3,523, another historic drought landmark. The model is based on weather conditions over a thirty-year span. Significant amounts of snowfall over the winter of 20102011 meant more water for Lake Powell, and this effect lasted into the spring of 2012. SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites 15 Day Weather Forecast google_color_url = "426C95"; Water supply forecasts take into consideration present hydrometeorological conditions and use google_color_text = "000000"; hb```)," 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). google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; Water availability, appropriate timing of releases, and impacts on other resources are all being considered as the 2022 Plan is being drafted.. The draft plan is expected to be released next week, according to Becki Bryant, a spokeswoman for Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region. Correction: This article has been corrected to indicate that Lake Powell began filling 59 years ago, not 60 years, as the original article stated. 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. Forecasts are calling for 4.1 million acre-feet of water to flow into Lake Powell from April to July this year, but water managers are obligated to release more than 7 million acre-feet out of the lake. 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. A powerful winter storm will enter AZ early Tuesday night with rain and snow showers increasing across the region after midnight. It will be among the lowest years of generation ever, said Nick Williams, power manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region in an interview last week. Cheap sewer pipe repairs can push toxic fumes into homes and schools heres Hard water: In these metro neighborhoods, few drink the tap water. KNAU's Melissa Sevigny reports. Boats docked at Lake Powell on July 13 . Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at . Lake Powell