Technology and Science16 August, 20262 min read
Lake Powell Hits Record Low, Threatening Hydropower and Water for 40 Million People
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Lake Powell water level dropped to a record low, signaling drought strain on the system. It threatens key water and electricity supply for millions.
8 outlets told this the same way.
Lake Powell’s record low
Lake Powell has fallen to a record low, heightening concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system. The water level at Lake Powell reached Saturday, about a week after Lake Mead also hit a historic low, and plummeting levels now threaten the Colorado River Basin’s role for wildlife, hydropower and more than 40 million people in seven U.S. states.
The Associated Press reports Lake Powell’s elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet (1072.9 meters) above sea level on Saturday, and the reservoir is now about 30 feet (9.1 meters) away from the point at which turbines would stop producing hydroelectric power. The Associated Press says the lake is more than 20 feet (6.10 meters) lower than it was at the start of the year, and it notes that persistent overuse, a record-dry winter and rising temperatures have been depleting both Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Power threshold and planning
Federal officials warned in April that a “major intervention” would be necessary to avoid reaching the turbine-stoppage threshold by the end of this year. The Associated Press reports that USBR in July proposed a 10-year plan that includes major potential water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada.
It also says the federal government and states that rely on the river — California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado — are struggling to reach agreement on a long-term management plan for the dwindling resource. The Associated Press adds that both reservoirs are at the lowest they have been in nearly seven decades, and levels may continue to drop, according to USBR data.
Tourism and basin impacts
The Associated Press reports that the depletion has impacted Lake Powell’s substantial tourism industry, forcing marinas in the reservoir to adapt. It says boat ramps have closed or moved, new ones are being added and marinas have been temporarily relocated to deeper waters.
The Associated Press also places the current lows in historical context, saying the last time their combined storage was this small was in May 1957 when Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Powell was being built. The Associated Press further notes that Powell began to fill in 1963, and it says the alarming milestone reached Saturday comes as the Colorado River Basin faces escalating constraints on water and electricity supply for millions.