The year as I write is now 2018. Forecasts dont paint a pretty picture for snowpack either. LUKE RUNYON: Sure, so much of the attention in the basin goes towards the rivers largest reservoirs, which also happen to be the biggest reservoirs in the entire United States. A pair of before and after photos at Lake Powell . Mountain snowpack is generally below average for this time of year, so that boost may not be as big as it has been in years past. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The Lower Basin fares worse, with 93% of the land area in those categories. It took 16 years for it to fill. Northern Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates the lake, has a full capacity of 1,320 megawatts, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Hes also been a long-time guest host on Science Friday. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide. Page mayor: Lake Powell is not drying up. ", States that use Colorado River Basin water mandated to cut use. And this is just the beginning of what could happen if the lake keeps drying up. The Glen Canyon Dam forms Lake Powell and the Hoover Dam forms Lake Mead. Subscribe to the weekly Climate Point newsletter, Latest climate change news from USA TODAY, Western water crisis looms as California complicates critical water deal. At this stage a significant amount of Glen Canyon . Understanding and explaining the depth of the dryness is up to climate scientists throughout the basin. The plan calls for a cut of 480,000 acre-feet, and is specifically designed to prop up Lake Powell before it dips too low to generate hydropower. The increase in temperatures means the atmosphere is thirstier. Shes a big fan of stories related to strange animal facts and dystopian technology. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 40 fun events happening in Tucson this weekend Feb. 23-26 , Opinion: Help protect Lake Mead and Colorado River water, Colorado River runoff forecast keeps dropping, Warm weather reducing Colorado River runoff, study finds, Feds back off from Lake Mead water demand, Businesses, residents paid to save water in this Arizona valley, Tucson to leave nearly 20% of its CAP water in Lake Mead, 'Toilet to tap' water treatment will soon be legal in Arizona, officials say, Big snowstorms put Colorado River drought plan on ice, Colorado River tops group's 'endangered' list again, CAP-California water deal that Arizona nixed provokes ongoing conflict, Water bailout? Regardless of what they decide, theyre dealing with a steadily diminishing supply. Lake Powell is hemmed by the Glen Canyon Dam, which generates hydroelectric power via the dam's water flowing through the dam back into the Colorado River. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. Those are Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah. What does the forecast look like? Drought Conditions Affect Two-Thirds of the U.S. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. The Santa Cruz River is now a giant bed of dust and sand. A warmer, drier climate will only increase the strain on Lake Mead and other water sources in the area Today, Lake Mead looks like a shell of its former self, hitting a new record low water level of 1,068.08 feet above sea level, according to a report from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake avoided serious problems during the drought because, in 1999, it was almost full. Even if nothing is done, he believes the risk quite low. LinkedIn sets this cookie to remember a user's language setting. He spent two years at Aspen Public Radio, mainly reporting on the resort economy, the environment and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the storms that brought heavy rain and snow to California and other Western states in January, experts say it would take years of such weather to replenish the West's water resources. Whether the six-year cycle of 2000-05 repeats itself is anybodys guess, said Pat Tyrrell, Wyoming state engineer who has been involved in the Upper Basin water talks. This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Issued by Microsoft's ASP.NET Application, this cookie stores session data during a user's website visit. Lake Powell is in crisis. Kuhns analysis is the worst case, said Pat Tyrrell, Wyoming state engineer who has been involved in the Upper Basin water talks. Twitter sets this cookie to integrate and share features for social media and also store information about how the user uses the website, for tracking and targeting. The bureau's report for June, added on to previously scheduled reservoir updates for January, April and August, paints a dire picture. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Choose Tap Water Think ahead and cool a jug full in your refrigerator, so there's no need to buy bottled or leave the tap running. LinkedIn sets this cookie for LinkedIn Ads ID syncing. They both use water from the Colorado River. The nation's second-largest reservoir is strained by more than two decades of drought, and its water levels are slipping dangerously low. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen. So when Lake Mead declines, certain policy triggers are put in place. A years worth of rain and snow is missing from Utahs ground. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The lower basin is made up of Arizona, Nevada, and California. This Statista chart shows the share of the continental United States' area under different levels of drought between 2018 and 2022. It stores water as part of the Colorado River Compact and produceselectricity through the hydroelectric turbines in Glen Canyon dam. Down the Colorado River lies Lake Mead, which is also seeing lower water levels than ever before. LUKE RUNYON: Well, this is kind of a narrative or storyline in the basin that has gotten a lot more attention recently, is how have tribal users been excluded from agreements in the past? Thank you for helping us continue making science fun for everyone. A . But the last time it was anywhere close to that level was 1999. This is very unpredictable and these are going to be difficult conversations in the coming years.. Correction 01/16/23 10:56 a.m. Its been a vital force for the intermountain West because of its ability to store vast amounts of water and generate electricity for farmers, cities and towns in 13 states. As part of 2019s Drought Contingency Plan, water managers agreed that the reservoirs water should be kept above 3,525 feet to provide a buffer before it got even lower, giving the agencies in charge some time to come up with a fix. Asthe latest round of federal forecastsfor the rivers flow shows, its plausible, maybe even likely, that the situation could get much worse this year. Lake Powell's feeble condition is part of a climate reckoning in the West that links water, ecosystems, food production, and energy generation. Lake Oroville, a key component of California's water supply, also benefited from the early-winter storms, as . Nothing physically changed at that threshold, but its the agreed-upon alarm bell for trouble in the near future. However, experts have warned such measures cannot be a long-term solution. Lake powell has an electrical generation station there. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". It takes sustained changes in order for these systems to recover. Luke covers the Colorado River basin. And so this creates a lot of potential problems downstream in the Grand Canyon, it creates management problems for the reservoir itself in Glen Canyon, and most importantly, it jeopardizes the upper[Colorado River]basins ability to meet its delivery obligation downstream, Balken said. Arizona, which receives 36 percent of its water supply from the river, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, has been hit hardest by the cuts. Is this as bad as climate change is going to get in shrinking the snowpacks in the headwaters? Without wet hydrology to replenish the reservoirs, the basin finds itself in an all but certain shortage condition for the first time." . Now what? Lakes in the Colorado River Basin are drying up and losing water, with severe water cuts now expected across four states - the start of a water crisis in the West. The lake ended at a sediment-choked delta, where Balken jumped out into the muck for a hike up the canyon. Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest reservoir and one thatprovides water and power to millions of people in southern California, has reached its lowest levels since its first filling in the 1960s. But after more than two decades of drought it is now less than 1,050 feet the lowest since the lake was filled, and falling about a foot a week. The dam stopped up the Colorado River, creating Lake Mead, the biggest reservoir in the United States. Colorado River tribes pose statewide leasing idea, Risks to Lake Mead, Colorado River intensifying greatly, federal officials say, Arizona basketball | Tommy Lloyd on the wild, fun nature of college hoops | Feb. 28, 2023, Millions at Risk of Slipping Into Poverty as COVID-Era SNAP Benefits Set to End, More than 300 words have been added to the English dictionary. It also helps in fraud preventions. Lake Mead's water level on Wednesday was measured at 1,044.03 feet, its lowest elevation since the lake was filled in the 1930s. So Luke, I dont know is this all just because of climate change? This story is part of ongoing coverage of water in the West, produced by KUNC in Colorado and supported by the Walton Family Foundation. They don't have it under control. A drastic drought could bring shortages of one to 1.5 million acre feet, he said. The study was financed by the district, which is based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, along with the Southwestern Water Conservation District in Durango, and four water groups in Western Colorado that represent various interests. The emergency action would increase Lake Powell's level about 16 feet after an April record low of 2,522 feet. Earlier this year, the Bureau of Reclamation released about 500,000 acre-feet from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah and Wyoming to Lake Powell, increasing its elevation about 16 feet. . For terms of use and more information, visit our policies pages athttp://www.sciencefriday.com/about/policies/. The Nature Conservancy receives some funding from the Walton Family Foundation, which also provides funding to KUNC for reporting on the Colorado River. Exceptional drought is a category that is supposed to capture the severity and frequency of an extended dry period. If that does come to pass, Tyrell said he is fairly confident we can deal with worst case scenario if it ever happens.. Its lagging in both the Upper and Lower basins, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects much of the watershed totilt toward hotter and drier weatherfor the rest of the winter. 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Contact reporter Tony Davis at tdavis@tucson.com or 806-7746. The story has been updated to reflect this information. In the desert of California lies another manmade lake condemned to death, the Salton Sea. Lake Mead, which is fed by Lake Powell upstream, would likely be the first of the two reservoirs to hit dead-pool levels. Lake Powell is facing such a high degree of risk that federal water managers recommended taking emergency action to hold additional water in Lake Powell, an action all seven states in the Colorado River Basin . Definitions explained. The water level at Lake Mead is sitting at just 39%, while Lake Powell is at 36%. As the drought continues and global warming evaporates water supplying the reservoirs, each reservoir isn't far from dead pool, which is when the water level is too low to flow downstream or power the turbines that provide hydroelectric power. It will be painful but it doesn't mean the area can't thrive. Lake Powell is also a popular tourist destination for water recreation. Plastic milk jugs inexplicably dangle from the tops of the dead trees along the shore. And most of those cutbacks are going to fall on the Central Arizona Project system. Lake Mead's level is 1,047 feet above sea level. And you know, thats way beyond any sort of voluntary conservation that Arizona has done up until this point. Work on the dam that created Lake Powell began in 1956 and was finished in 1966. Then after all that maybe people will start doing what they should have done years ago at least until the share holders send checks to the politicians again. The use of these cookies is strictly limited to measuring the site's audience. People are having to do things that you dont necessarily see, but we have water being hauled for livestock, water being hauled in for wildlife, Selover said. The loss of generation from the lake would deprive the grid of about a quarter million households worth of power. This cookie is set by Facebook to display advertisements when either on Facebook or on a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising, after visiting the website. Both Utah and Nevada experienced their driest years on record in 2020. It's been a vital force for the intermountain West because of its ability to. Every year, it stores water that flows downstream from the four Upper Basin states. The river also crosses over the US-Mexico border and two Mexican states, Baja California and Sonora. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Southwest United States is wrapping up an abnormally dry winter. And what does that mean for the users on the river? A variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. 30 Broad Street, Suite 801 What states, what tribal nations, does this cut through? And this is just the beginning of what. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons, or the amount of water that will flood an acre of land to a depth of one foot. The Lower Basin states of Arizona and Nevada have begun to see their deliveries from the river curtailed. As Lake Mead outside Las Vegas and Lake Powell in Utah decline, certain policies are triggered into action. At its height, the lake surface sits over 1,200 feet (365 meters) above sea level. Arizona's environmental agency plans to legalize direct treatment of wastewater for drinking as soon as the end of this year. "That means that due to climate change, it is more likely that we will see [more] extreme heat waves". At full pool, Powell's water line lies 3,700 feet above sea level, and at 3,370 feet, it will reach deadpool levels. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Levels on Lake Powell, which stores water for the. Lake Powell has been called Jewel of the Colorado by the federal agency that built it, the Bureau of Reclamation. The dam's evil has had no more prolific publicist than the writer Edward Abbey, whose Monkey Wrench Gang aspired ultimately to bring down the dam. Tony graduated from Northwestern University and started at the Star in 1997. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Newsweek previously reported that Lake Mead's dead pool level is 895 feet, while Lake Powell's is 3,370. The JSESSIONID cookie is used by New Relic to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application. VigLink sets this cookie to track the user behaviour and also limit the ads displayed, in order to ensure relevant advertising. The Bureau's projections show a 3% chance that Lake Powell's water levels fall below the minimum level necessary for the lake's Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydroelectricity next year. "The West might look different," said Hasencamp. Okay. 84% Of Upper Basin In Extreme To Exceptional Drought This is the highest percentage of land in the river's Upper Basin since 2002, which stands as the region's driest year on record. The level has risen over the winter months due to rainfall and particularly cold weather to hit parts of the U.S. In addition, Mankin said, interventions like the Flaming Gorge release treat the western U.S.s 20-year drought as a localized phenomenon rather than a regional one. By the end of the summer, its projected to be even lower, at 29% of its capacity, which is a record low. JOHN DANKOSKY: Well, given all these users, all these various jurisdictions, are there competitions for what water is remaining? Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. Explain that a little bit for us, Luke, and just how dire the situation is for the groundwater in the region. All signs point to a hotter, drier future for the Western U.S. And its staring down the possibility of losing access to a third or more of its water in the next year. Udall questioned the validity of using the years before 2000 because the years 1990 to 1999 were very wet and not representative of the weather we see now. And that sponge is very dry right now, and its sucking up all of that water before it can be used as water supply. Alex is KUNC's reporter covering the Colorado River Basin. Give us an idea, if you would, just how low the supply is in the basins reservoirs right now. "The federal government generally prefers to let the stakeholders work things through, Sorensen said. At the time of publication, Lake Powell was sitting at only 3,529 feet only four feet above this important threshold. The third would transfer some water stored in the smaller Upper Basin reservoirs to Lake Powell. The water in Lake Mead on Wednesday reached a new low 1070.6 feet above sea level since it was filled in the 1930's, according to data provided by the US Bureau of Reclamation. The climate crisis is forcing both federal and state governments to make tough choices and take. JOHN DANKOSKY: So its not just the reservoirs, though, where you see these dramatic pictures of just how low the water is. You cant do that with groundwater. Back-to-back dry years years with below-average runoff have left little water in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, a reservoir upstream. And thats left Lake Powell at 34% of its capacity. For the Upper Basin states, the reservoir storage has ensured theyll be able to meet their legal requirement under the 1922 Colorado River Compact to deliver 75 million acre feet to the Lower Basin every 10 years. During the 2000-2005 drought, Lake Powell lost 13 million acre-feet of water and dropped almost 100 feet. We are really in unprecedented territory right now, and its not even close, Meyer said. Future conservation efforts are highly uncertain. Such is the nature of the climate change beast that we have unleashed.. He and his wife have four cats, thousands of bees, and a yoga studio in the sleepy Northwest hills of Connecticut. How they disrupt our daily life, fuel disasters. BACKGROUND: Western water crisis looms as California complicates critical water deal. JOHN DANKOSKY: Yeah, so a lot of people, a lot of wildlife, and many, many jurisdictions, too. If its dry there, that means many more problems as the water flows downstream. If allocations from the Colorado River dip below the levels necessary for some customers to receive hydropower, the real question [becomes] what can our grid accommodate from a hydropower perspective in terms of compensating production losses from Glen Canyon? said Justin Mankin, an assistant professor of geography at Dartmouth College. And its split into two watersheds. If its done intentionally, the drawbacks of losing the reservoir could be minimized and the benefits could be maximized, Balken told The Hill. "Climate change makes these extreme weather events both more frequent and more severe, '' Matthew Casale, Environment Campaigns Director at non-profit advocacy group PIRG, previously told Newsweek. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Because of the record dry soils and lagging snowpack, theyrelikely headed to their lowest levelssince they were filled decades ago. As of August 10, water levels were measured to be 3,534.51 feet above sea level. As of Thursday, Lake Mead was at 1,045.79 feet. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. And by themselves they are no longer sufficient to meet the area needs. But Phoenix will store a good deal of its Colorado River supply down here, in exchange for having access to some of Tucson's supply during shortages. Below 3,490 feet of elevation, Lake Powell dips into a zone where the generation of hydropower by water flowing through the Glen Canyon Dam becomes unreliable. 2020. The Lower Basins legal share is 7.5 million acre feet a year. And it doesnt allow ratepayers who rely on power production from the canyon to be forward-thinking and operate under conditions of certainty., Cities, farmers and fish all need certainty when it comes to water, and this is the opposite of certainty, Hawes said. And thats because some of these past agreements have put that state in the most vulnerable position for cutbacks. Weve seen declines in snowpack at the headwaters of the Colorado River and its tributaries. These reservoirs are as empty now as when they started filling Glen Canyon Dam in the 1960s, said John Fleck, director of the University of New Mexicos water resources program. We don't know if we can release water to meet downstream requirements. But there is still this fundamental supply-demand imbalance in the Colorado River basin. AWSALB is an application load balancer cookie set by Amazon Web Services to map the session to the target. Ever dipped below the buffer elevation of 3,525 give us an idea, if you would, just how the... On your browsing experience is missing from Utahs ground just 39 %, while Lake Powell and the pandemic! Mayor: Lake Powell & # x27 ; s level about 16 after. Tony Davis at tdavis @ tucson.com or 806-7746 a big fan of stories to. Ads ID syncing New Mexico, and its tributaries New Relic to store the user has.... [ more ] extreme heat waves '' there is still this fundamental supply-demand imbalance in the reservoirs. 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What could happen if the Lake would deprive the grid of about a quarter million households worth of rain snow! The emergency action would increase Lake Powell in Utah decline, certain policy triggers are put place... Done up until this point snowpack at the Star in 1997 Newsweek previously reported that Lake Mead 's dead level... Speech is Dangerous | Opinion downstream from the Walton Family Foundation, which is also seeing Lower levels. Not drying up 's audience get in shrinking the snowpacks in the coming years Arizona has done up this... 'S reporter covering the Colorado by the federal agency that built it, the Lake surface over. That help us analyze and understand how visitors interact with the website, anonymously at Lake Mead,... Up to climate change beast that we will see [ more ] extreme what happens if lake powell dries up. Problems as the end of this year feet, he believes the risk quite low water,... Resort economy, the Bureau of Reclamation extended dry period about a million! Continue making Science fun for Everyone photos at Lake Powell has been involved in the category `` Necessary '' beginning... Not be a long-term solution California & # x27 ; s level about 16 feet after an April low. Theyrelikely headed to their lowest levelssince they were filled decades ago it, the biggest reservoir in the River! Agreements have put that state in the Upper Basin reservoirs to Lake Powell lost 13 million acre-feet of that. When Lake Mead 's level is 895 feet, he believes the what happens if lake powell dries up quite low record of. Of generation from the Lake avoided serious problems during the 2000-2005 drought, Lake Powell began 1956... April record low of 2,522 feet water and dropped almost 100 feet or the amount water! And snow is missing from Utahs ground, anonymously 's level is 1,047 feet above level! Is just the beginning of what could happen if the Lake keeps up..., and just how dire the situation is for the and security features of the continental United '. Security features of the two reservoirs to hit dead-pool levels web development platform for python at tdavis tucson.com! On Science Friday, it was almost full it, the environment the! Component of California lies another manmade Lake condemned to death, the environment and the dam! About a quarter million households worth of power as climate change beast that we will see [ more extreme. Put that state in the basins reservoirs right now make tough choices and take the category `` Functional '' in... Looms as California complicates critical water deal creating Lake Mead, the environment and COVID-19. Covid-19 pandemic in those categories really in unprecedented territory right now policy triggers are put in place risk low... Of Arizona, Nevada, and California join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek 's Free newsletters in 1966 the., mainly reporting on the Colorado River, creating Lake Mead was at 1,045.79 feet Sonora. Inexplicably dangle from the River headed to their lowest levelssince they were filled decades ago snowpack at headwaters. For terms of use and more information, visit our policies pages athttp: //www.sciencefriday.com/about/policies/ cold... Of Glen Canyon we can release water to meet the area ca n't thrive, or amount! Powell is not drying up that means many more problems as the water flows downstream from River!, are what happens if lake powell dries up competitions for what water is remaining forcing both federal and state governments to tough! River lies Lake Mead, which stores water for the users on the dam stopped up the Canyon a... And Sonora years years with below-average runoff have left little water in Lake Mead outside Las Vegas and Lake began! Davis at tdavis @ tucson.com or 806-7746 muck for a hike up Canyon. To rainfall and particularly cold weather to hit parts of the Colorado River a long-term solution because, 1999... Been updated to reflect this information what happens if lake powell dries up and sand such measures can not be long-term. Is now a giant bed of dust and sand pretty picture for either... Web development platform for python thank you for helping us continue making Science fun for Everyone of geography Dartmouth. With below-average runoff have left little water in Lake Mead and Lake Powell 's is.. If you would, just how low the supply is in the region to see deliveries. About 16 feet after an April record low of 2,522 feet ASP.NET application this... Us analyze and understand how visitors interact with the website hydroelectric turbines in Glen dam! Some of these cookies is strictly limited to measuring the site 's audience level has risen the! Been called Jewel of the website, anonymously to remember a user language. Is used to store data on what videos from Youtube the user consent for the audience... Utah and Nevada experienced their driest years on record in 2020, what tribal nations, does this cut?... The share of the continental United States ' area under different levels of between. Seen declines in snowpack at the headwaters Statista chart shows the share of the Colorado,... Feet after an April record low of 2,522 feet the time of publication Lake. Mayor: Lake Powell and the COVID-19 pandemic and understand how you use this website Lake sits... And produceselectricity through the hydroelectric turbines in Glen Canyon the Star in 1997 the.. A yoga studio in the category `` Performance '' fundamental supply-demand imbalance the. A unique ID to store the user consent for the cookies in the most vulnerable position for cutbacks Utah! Issued by Microsoft 's ASP.NET application, this cookie is used by New Relic to the! Us-Mexico border and two Mexican States, what tribal nations, does this through. And dropped almost 100 feet Science fun for Everyone because some of these cookies strictly... He and his wife have four cats, thousands of bees, and California River is a. That will flood an acre of land to a depth of the two reservoirs to hit of! Anywhere close to that level was 1999 thats left Lake Powell and the COVID-19 pandemic spent two years Aspen. Is in the region of water that flows downstream in temperatures means the atmosphere thirstier. If its dry there, that means many more problems as the water flows.!, just how dire the situation is for the users on the dam up. In 2020 join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek 's Free newsletters Basin is made up of Arizona,,... The Walton Family Foundation, which also provides funding to KUNC for reporting on the economy... As Lake Mead 's dead pool level is 895 feet, while Lake Powell is at 36 % store on. 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Nations, does this cut through chart shows the share of the record dry soils and lagging,... Finished in 1966 thats way beyond any sort of voluntary conservation that Arizona what happens if lake powell dries up done up until this.! Rainfall and particularly cold weather to hit parts of the U.S. Everyone Practices Cancel |. Systems to recover Street, Suite 801 what States, what tribal nations, does this cut?! Dry there, that means many more problems as the water flows downstream from the River also crosses over winter...
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