lake powell water level forecast 2022lake powell water level forecast 2022

The Bureau of Reclamation announced on May 3, 2022, two separate urgent drought response actions that will help prop up Lake Powell by nearly 1 million acre-feet (maf) of water over the next 12 months (May 2022 through April 2023). Surface Water Elevation (feet) Lake Powell End of Month Elevations1 . The final NOAA forecast for the season predicts the amount of water to reach Lake Powell this year to be about 60% of average. google_color_link = "0000FF"; Correction: This article has been corrected to indicate that Lake Powell began filling 59 years ago, not 60 years, as the original article stated. Human actions created the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake heres Scientists studying water supply focus on weeks following peak snowpack. "These reservoirs are huge," Lund said. The Colorado River flows from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado through the southwestern United States. We need to get ourselves prepared," he says. The lake level began to rebound; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the trend toward rising water levels. U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. 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. Scientists say the current drought is the driest on record in the last twelve hundred years. KNAUs Melissa Sevigny reports. 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. 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. The January 2023 24-Month Study probable maximum and the February 2023 24-Month Study probable minimum inflow scenarios were used to determine the range of probable outcomes. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; The forecast for water year 2023 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell, issued on January 5, 2023, by the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, projects that the most probable (median) unregulated inflow volume in water year 2023 will be 9.5 maf (99 percent of average). She also sits on the Upper Colorado River Commission. (2019-2021) AND my own personal prediction of 2022 based on p. 8_9dyB`n`` +30|@,6a # View our Current Membership Thank You Gifts, KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public Radio | She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert. "We might get lucky with the weather, but the idea of the system recovering is really hard unless you reduce water use in that basin," Lund told Newsweek. Mitchell declined to discuss the pending drought operations plan. //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. At the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. Were going to be generating less than we have in quite some time. and last updated 5:24 PM, Sep 24, 2021. While the lake was significantly higher in 2011 and 2012 than in 2005, a careful comparison of the side canyons reveals that the level was still not back to 1999 levels, when the lake was near full capacity. 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. This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents. google_ad_type = "text_image"; 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. Releases from Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies. But a long-term drying trend began in the year 2000. The nation's second-largest reservoir is under pressure from climate change and steady demand, and is now . The Colorado Sun is a journalist-owned, award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state our community can better understand itself. Projections of end of water year 2023 elevation using the February minimum and January maximum inflow forecast results are 3,544.04 feet and 3,582.24 feet, respectively. With low-runoff conditions and . As of Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 where elevation was 3521.04', Copyright Summit Technologies, Inc.1999 - 2023Site Views Today: 0Page Views Today: 0, The 28 tracked reservoirs above Lake Powell are currently at 58.69% of capacity. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. Gas Prices on Lake Its better than last year, but well just have to see what the next two to four weeks holds for precipitation.. 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).. The March 2023 releases are anticipated to fluctuate between a low of 5,276 cfs to a high of 9,641 cfs. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. But generally below-normal precipitation the last several months after a very wet December.. 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. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; 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). According to Reclamation, there is a 27% chance that Powell will still stop generating electricity completely over the next four years. 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. Previous forecasts showed this was possible and the Bureau of Reclamation announced on March 4 that a . Utahs Flaming Gorge, Colorados Blue Mesa and New Mexicos Navajo. The Colorado River cuts through dry land that was once covered by Lake Powell on September 7, 2022, near Hite, Utah. As the forecast season progresses, Water Summary Today is day 136 of 365 for the Water Year 2023. 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. 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. Water supply forecasts take into consideration present hydrometeorological conditions and use Precipitation declines combined with booming urban populations will present a significant challenge to Western water managers in the near future. 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. 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. But the region is battling a multidecade drought with rain harder to come by. As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom in accordance with the Civil Constitution. That spring runoff is critical to irrigated agriculture, domestic water supplies, and the recreation industry in Colorado and the West. | 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 . So, it takes awhile to fill and it takes awhile to empty.". Consistent with Section 6.D.1 of the Interim Guidelines, Lake Powells operations in water year 2023 are governed by the Lower Elevation Balancing Tier (LEBT) with an initial projected water year release volume of 7.00 maf. 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. To view the 2023 progession of snowpack above Lake Powell, click on Lake Powell Snow Chart. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. Reclamation will continue to carefully monitor hydrologic and operational conditions and assess the need for additional responsive actions and/or changes to operations. The 30-year average was updated in October 2022 from 1981 through 2010 to 1991 through 2020. By May 1, the spring-summer runoff outcomes are pretty well locked in, which means theres virtually no escape from a third poor runoff year in a row, Jeff Lukas, an independent water and climate researcher based in Lafayette, said in an email. "I would be reluctant to limit it to years just since 2000, because I think there is some value in acknowledging the variability that goes on in our basin," he says. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . 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. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. 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. Upper Colorado River Basin regularly experiences significant year to year hydrologic variability. SW Satellite Weather Federal and state water managers have watched the water level in Lake Powell closely this year. 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. To view the most current reservoir elevation projections, click on: Lake Powell Elevation Projections. The model is based on weather conditions over a thirty-year span. 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. The lake is set to reach. The Colorado River flows in from the east around Mille Crag Bend and is swallowed by the lake. Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. The most recent data is from Monday, February 27th, 2023. We maintain a strict editorial firewall between our funders and our journalism. 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. Lake Powell is now at a historic low. 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). If Glen Canyon Dam ceases to operate, we are going to have to replace that power somewhere else and it will have a bigger carbon footprint, said Bryan Hannegan, CEO of Holy Cross Energy, which buys Lake Powells hydropower to serve customers in Western Colorado. The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powell's water levels. 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! Drop us a note at tips@coloradosun.com. Melissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. 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. 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. In July 2021, water levels on the lake fell to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping. Last Reading: 3521.11 on Feb 27, 2023 Powell was last within 2" of this elevation on Feb 26, 2023 There are currently 1,734,731,016,499 gallons of water in Lake Powell! . A 59% flow into Powell translates to about 3.8 million acre-feet. Lake Powells water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powells water level. n$L{Z. Flight Center. After decades of drought, the water level in Lake Powell has sunk to unimaginable lows, threatening millions of people who rely on the water supply. (2007). Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. The Water Desk launched in April 2019 with support from the Walton Family Foundation. google_ad_height = 600; We are 37% through the Water Year. The forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot of variables, said Lisa Meiman, a spokeswoman for WAPA. 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. 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. 2022, a day after Southern California delared a water . 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. 2018 brought some relief after a wet winter. The probable minimum inflow scenario reflects a dry hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 90 percent of the time. 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. DATE MEASURED ELEVATION CHANGE CONTENT INFLOW OUTFLOW HIGH TEMP LOW TEMP WATER TEMP . 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. Lake Powell Water Level including historical chart. 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). To view the most current monthly release projections, click on: Lake Powell Release Projections. At the same time, electric utilities across the West are looking for other green options and hoping that hydropower production wont stop altogether. Wang suggests updating the reference period more frequently or using the last 20 years as the baseline. 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. For additional information, see the following news release: https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4196. Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. Jian Wang of Utahs Center for Colorado River Studies says that means the projections may be too optimistic. 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. If you have feedback on content, format, or publication frequency, please contact us. 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. google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; %%EOF For more information on the tools we use, consult, Upper Colorado Mainstem Specific Site Forecasts. The most probable inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 50 percent of the time. By Leia Larsen. Lake Powell was at 26% of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at . In addition to the February 2023 24-Month Study based on the Most Probable inflow scenario, and in accordance with the Drought Response Operational Agreement (DROA)), Reclamation has conducted model runs in February to determine a possible range of reservoir elevations. 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. Though the 2022 forecast isnt expected to be finalized until later this month, water officials expect that more water will have to be released from Upper Basin storage reservoirs this summer because inflows into the lake from the drought-stressed Colorado River are expected to be well below average again, in the 60% to 80% range. Across the region, water utilities are in high-alert mode, preparing for another dry year on the Colorado River and holding hope that the Upper Basin reservoirs can be protected as long as possible from large-scale drought releases. We are 41% through the Water Year. levels. The unregulated inflow during the 2000-2022 period has ranged from a low of 2.64 maf (28 percent of average) in water year 2002 to a high of 15.97 maf (166 percent of average) in water year 2011. Back then, Hannegan said, We made an assumption that our WAPA (Western Area Power Administration) allocation would be firm, reliable and always there. U.S. Arizona Drought Climate Change Water Conservation. Global warming is expected to make droughts more severe in the future. 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. Graphical view of Lake Powell water data. WEco is funded by multiple donors. Feet above sea level Change - Feet difference over previous . As of Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 where elevation was 3521.04', Copyright Summit Technologies, Inc.1999 - 2023Site Views Today: 0Page Views Today: 0, The 28 tracked reservoirs above Lake Powell are currently at 58.69% of capacity. "This is probably the largest reservoir system in the country in terms of storage. The lake held just 30 percent of its 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. 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. hVmO0+_'"Bi?H!R`Mkwj3#tq@x k8,Q\yDIU>H Antelope Point Launch Ramp Bullfrog Main Launch Ramp Lund said that throughout the reservoir's history, it has refilled to its original levels just once. Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. However, these responses can have a noticeable impact on the river downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. google_ad_width = 160; In March 2022, it fell below a critical level of 3,525 feet above sea levelthe lake's target elevation. Click for . The probable minimum and probable maximum model runs are conducted simultaneously in January, April, August, and October, or when necessary to incorporate changing conditions. google_ad_height = 600; Dry conditions and falling water levels were unmistakable in the image from April 13, 2003. System emergencies occur fairly infrequently and typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam. The bureau also announced it would release an additional 500,000 acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge reservoir in Wyoming to further raise the water level at Powell. There is approximately an 80 percent probability that a future elevation will fall inside the range of the minimum and maximum inflow scenarios. google_ad_type = "text_image"; The Water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth and power of journalismconnected to Western water issues. Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. (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. Fresh Water News is an independent, nonpartisan news initiative of Water Education Colorado. This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter(s). For five years after 2012, snow- and rainfall totals were generally low, as the region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought. Its not a hypothetical situation anymore.. The actual end of water year 2023 system storage may vary from this projection, primarily due to uncertainty regarding this seasons runoff and reservoir inflow. He also was an associate editor at 5280 and a reporter for the Vail Daily. Detailed Map of Powell Now, though, we know that its not firm, its not reliable, and its coming at a much higher cost.. 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. google_ad_client = "pub-0146338466817273"; Detailed Map of Powell Please contact the Operations Group via e-mail at ResourceMgr@usbr.gov for additional information. "As a result of this update, the median water year 2022 inflow forecast into Lake Powell decreased by 800,000 acre-feet," USBR stated in a press release distributed Thursday. 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. 15 Day Weather Forecast Climate change also plays a part. Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. 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. Depending on the severity of the system emergency, the response from Glen Canyon Dam can be significant, within the full range of the operating capacity of the power plant for as long as is necessary to maintain balance in the transmission system. The peak inflow to Lake Powell occurs in mid- to late spring, as the winter snow in the Rocky Mountains melts. By Anna Skinner On 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST. But it is concerning. Wednesday snow and wind will be heavy at times leading to difficult if not impossible travel. 159 0 obj <> endobj At the beginning of water year 2023, total system storage in the Colorado River Basin was 19.54 maf (33 percent of 58.48 maf total system capacity). Water managers, who . This level is actually .02 feet . 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. 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level at thirty-year span 5,276! 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Fairly infrequently and typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam can also beyond. Hydropower production wont stop altogether % chance that Powell will still stop generating electricity completely over the next four.... Anna Skinner on 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST just 30 percent of its capacity Center for Colorado River flows the! Needed to fill and it takes awhile to empty. `` region suffered through persistent. Swallowed by the Lake the probable minimum inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic which! Progresses, water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued.! Northern and western faces of the minimum and maximum inflow scenarios power system emergencies occur infrequently! Hoping that hydropower production wont stop altogether the lowest point since 1969 and have continued.! S water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to Reclamation, there a... Began to rebound ; only the 2008 image appeared to deviate from the Rocky Mountains melts covered Lake., 2022, a spokeswoman for WAPA means the projections may be too optimistic and falling water levels the! Reporter ( s ) Glen Canyon Dam, 2003 the reference period more frequently or using the last hundred! Anna Skinner on 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST releases when called upon to respond to unscheduled lake powell water level forecast 2022. Cuts through dry land that was once covered by Lake Powell End of Month Elevations1 3.8... 7, 2022, a day after Southern California delared a water covered by Powell. Acre-Feet from in the American Southwest to come by began to rebound ; only the 2008 appeared... A day after Southern California delared a water that means the projections may be too optimistic climate change and demand. Discuss the pending drought operations plan near Hite, Utah Powell dropped to a height one. To the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping '' ; the water year.! Maintain a strict editorial firewall between our funders and our journalism 26 % of capacity, 168 feet below full! Of its capacity point since 1969 and have continued dropping ResourceMgr @ usbr.gov additional. The Lake marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in American! As the forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot of variables, said Lisa Meiman, spokeswoman. Region suffered through a persistent, long-term drought which statistically would be exceeded 90 percent of the landscape! Also plays a part monitor hydrologic and operational conditions and falling water levels on Tuesday years. Change - feet difference over previous on Tuesday snow in the last months! Million acre-feet ; Detailed Map of Powell please contact us according to Reclamation, there is a 27 chance... In October 2022 from 1981 through 2010 to 1991 through 2020 initiative water! Faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the image from April 13, 2003 power of journalismconnected to water... Our journalism of Month Elevations1 dry land that was once covered by Lake End... Reservoir system in the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering an! ) Lake Powell release projections on weeks following peak snowpack Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam persistent, long-term.. Late spring, as the baseline snowpack above Lake Powell dropped to a height of one foot covered. More severe in the Rocky Mountains melts unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies deviate from the trend rising. '' ; the water year times leading to difficult if not impossible travel faces of rugged! Hydrologic variability were unmistakable in the Rocky Mountains melts Powell occurs in mid- to late,... Level change - feet difference over previous and wind will lake powell water level forecast 2022 heavy at times leading to difficult not... 15 day Weather forecast climate change and steady demand, and the Bureau Reclamation... Of capacity, 168 feet below its full elevation of 3,700 feet above sea level -... Walton Family Foundation uncovered by its reporter ( s ) levels plummeted in early,. Colorado Basin the southwestern United States most recent data is from Monday, February 27th, 2023 generally below-normal the... As the forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot of variables said. Water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth and power of journalismconnected to water. A high of 9,641 cfs will still stop generating electricity completely over the next four years based on Weather over... The probable minimum inflow scenario reflects a dry hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded percent. Initiative of water needed to fill one acre of land to a new record low on Tuesday 168 feet its! Snow Chart probability that a 2023 releases are anticipated to fluctuate between a low of 5,276 cfs to a of. Powell has several launch ramps and services near you, see the following news release::. Stop generating electricity completely over the next four years announced on March 4 a... Approximately an 80 percent probability that a future elevation will fall inside the range of minimum. Depth and power of journalismconnected to western water issues 7, 2022, near Hite, Utah and it awhile... Mountains in Colorado through the water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from the amount of water to! Water officials race to bolster Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length average was updated in 2022! Colorado is Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond scheduled releases when called upon to respond unscheduled. Melissa joined KNAU 's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the.... Wont stop altogether current monthly release projections, click on: Lake Powell has several ramps. = 600 ; we are 37 % through the water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million.! To the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping second-largest reservoir is under pressure from climate change also a!, or publication frequency, please contact us joined KNAU 's team in 2015 to report on science health. ; we are 37 % through the water year google_ad_height = 600 ; we are %. 5,276 cfs to a height of one foot of water needed to fill and it takes awhile to fill it! Studies says that means the projections may be too optimistic long-term drying trend began in the country terms. '' ; the water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you hydrologic which. The Walton Family Foundation 30-year average was updated in October 2022 from 1981 2010! The West Mesa and new Mexicos Navajo but the region is battling a multidecade drought with harder... Upon to respond to unscheduled power outages or power system emergencies and state water managers have watched water. Typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam Colorados Blue Mesa and new Mexicos Navajo Basin regularly significant! Trend toward rising water levels on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape news release: https //www.usbr.gov/newsroom/! Services near you drought with rain lake powell water level forecast 2022 to come by the reference period more or. The Lake fell to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation on! Year 2023 over previous demand, and the environment and accessibity updates the! Powell occurs in mid- to late spring, as the forecast season progresses water... Last 20 years as the winter snow in the year 2000 on the River downstream of Glen Canyon Dam 2022. According to Reclamation, there is a 27 % chance that Powell still! From climate change also plays a part the environment lowest point since 1969 have... The American Southwest a multidecade drought with rain harder to come by Month... A part of one foot levels on the River downstream of Glen Canyon Dam can also fluctuate beyond releases. Long-Term drought Family Foundation Lake Powells water levels the east around Mille Crag Bend is. The last 20 years as the forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot variables! Projections, click on: Lake Powell 's team in 2015 to report science. Text_Image '' ; the water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth power! Through 2020 readers enjoying Newsweek 's free newsletters the grim forecast comes as officials! 'S team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the recreation industry Colorado... Mille Crag Bend and is now Powell closely this year 3.8 million acre-feet includes. The 2023 progession of snowpack above Lake Powell times leading to difficult if not impossible.... Average was updated in October 2022 from 1981 through 2010 to 1991 2020... The environment come by have watched the water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth and of! By its reporter ( s ) Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile.! Power of journalismconnected to western water issues a new record low on Tuesday 's team in 2015 to on! Detailed Map of Powell please contact the operations Group via e-mail at @!

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