The most recent data is from Monday, February 27th, 2023. (For comparison, the 1991-2020 total water year average is 9.60 maf.) Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294, https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4196, USGS site #09180500 - Colorado River near Cisco, UT, USGS site #09315000 - Green River at Green River, UT, USGS site #09379500 - San Juan River near Bluff, UT, USGS site #09380000 - Colorado River at Lees Ferry, AZ, Snowpack Conditions Upper Colorado Region Above Lake Powell, Lake Powell Inflow Forecast April-July Inflow Forecast, Current Water Year Inflow Forecast Monthly Outlooks, Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, LTEMP - Long-Term Experimental & Management Plan, Report to Congress - Operations of Glen Canyon Dam - Water Year 2015-2016, National Park Service Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. View our Current Membership Thank You Gifts, KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public Radio | 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 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). Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Water Data for 20 days surrounding Feb 28, 2022. By, What We Know, And What You Can Do To Help. 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. In water year 2021 unregulated inflow volume to Lake Powell was 3.50 maf (36 percent of average), the second driest year on record above 2002. About 40 million people rely on the Colorado River for domestic use and farmers and ranchers use water from the river to irrigate more than 3 million acres of farmland. System emergencies occur fairly infrequently and typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam. 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. Shifting the period of record decreased the average unregulated inflow 1.20 maf. SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites WEco is funded by multiple donors. Official Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Changing Lake Levels Info. SW Satellite Weather Its better than last year, but well just have to see what the next two to four weeks holds for precipitation.. 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. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . According to Reclamation, there is a 27% chance that Powell will still stop generating electricity completely over the next four years. 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. google_color_url = "426C95"; As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. 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. The modeling approach for WY 2023 will apply to 2024. :pNB/gb2D0p6Ecb :qD_q7wE42TOOSW:Oa^(-]p7y|iZ.8uq:}1y3bJ]!G ) ytRdJp2 +[|}QpEU}V'k{yeKud"xl_-x lJ!UZ`,n!\3{dcb swE{,,;o0U|+/ :u7j@;pGh00gr\j30sAD+ ON 9 Were an initiative of theCenter for Environmental Journalismat the University of Colorado Boulder. At the west end of Narrow Canyon, the Dirty Devil River joins the lake from the north. For five years after 2012, snow- and rainfall totals were generally low, as the region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought. Changes in the northeastern reaches of Lake Powell are documented in this series of natural-color images taken by the Landsat series of satellites between 1999 and 2021. Lake Powells side branches had all retreated compared to the previous years extents. A powerful winter storm will enter AZ early Tuesday night with rain and snow showers increasing across the region after midnight. 0 The northwestern side branch of Lake Powell remained cut off from the rest of the reservoir. Flight Center. 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. levels. 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. 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. To view the most current reservoir elevation projections, click on: Lake Powell Elevation Projections. The water levels at Lake Powell have dropped around 100 feet in the last three years. Gas Prices on Lake Mitchell declined to discuss the pending drought operations plan. 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. Lake Mead was at elevation 1,064.30 ft. with storage of 8.753 maf or 34 percent of capacity. 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. Correction: This article has been corrected to indicate that Lake Powell began filling 59 years ago, not 60 years, as the original article stated. The Water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth and power of journalismconnected to Western water issues. 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. The draft plan is expected to be released next week, according to Becki Bryant, a spokeswoman for Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region. 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! Releases from Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies. 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. This 2022 Plan is described above and available for review here: https://www.usbr.gov/dcp/droa.html. Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. a greater portion of the future hydrologic and climatic uncertainty becomes known and The forecast estimated that the amount of water that will flow into Lake Powell this spring and summer will be about 59% of average, based on 30 years of data from 1991 to 2020. Utahs Flaming Gorge, Colorados Blue Mesa and New Mexicos Navajo. 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. Global warming is expected to make droughts more severe in the future. KNAUs Melissa Sevigny reports. These instantaneous release adjustments stabilize the electrical generation and transmission system and translate to a range of about 1,300 cfs above or below the hourly scheduled release rate. Lake Mead's water levels . 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. Another 480 kaf will be left in Lake Powell by reducing Glen Canyon Dams annual release volume from 7.48 maf to 7.0 maf, as outlined in the 2007 Interim Guidelines that control operations of Glen Canyon Dam and Hoover Dam. 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. 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. hbbd``b`$WX)! Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. More by Chris Outcalt, Got a story tip? This was the lowest water levels have been since the lake was first constructed in the 1930s. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. average basin temperatures and precipitation for the forecast period. Boats docked at Lake Powell on July 13 . A visual history of the water level of each of our Lake Powell trips over the past three years. Precipitation declines combined with booming urban populations will present a significant challenge to Western water managers in the near future. In January, following the wet December Moser noted, the NOAA forecast called for 98% of the 30-year average to reach Powell. 15 Day Weather Forecast Late last fall WAPA, which operates the electric grid and distributes the power to utilities, raised rates 30% to cover reductions in power revenue. Cheap sewer pipe repairs can push toxic fumes into homes and schools heres Hard water: In these metro neighborhoods, few drink the tap water. These projections are critical for planning for an increasingly dry future in the Colorado River Basin, but a new paper from Utah State University says the model may still underestimate the risk. Back then, Hannegan said, We made an assumption that our WAPA (Western Area Power Administration) allocation would be firm, reliable and always there. Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents We need to get ourselves prepared," he says. Lake Powell has fallen victim to excessive water use as a 20-year drought parches the region. Lake Powell