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, Printable Version 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. In the early years of this image series, water levels began to drop. 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. To view the current inflow forecast relative to past inflows, click on Lake Powell Inflow Forecast. Water managers, who . Among the dams on the Colorado is Arizonas Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. (2019-2021) AND my own personal prediction of 2022 based on p. From there, a swing to the northeast delivers boats into Lake Powell's main artery. The end of January elevation and storage of Lake Powell were 3,523.45 feet (177 feet from full pool) and 5.45 million acre-feet (maf) (23 percent of live capacity), respectively. Precipitation was better, but still slightly below normal in the Upper Colorado River Basin. 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. More by Chris Outcalt, Got a story tip? Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. 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. 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. A century of river flow records combined with an additional four to five centuries of tree-ring data show that the droughts over the past two decades were not unusual; longer and more severe droughts are a regular part of the climate variability in that part of the continent. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. These long-term projections help water managers plan for future shortages, which are increasingly likely in the Colorado River Basin, in part because of warmer temperatures brought on by global climate change. hVmO0+_'"Bi?H!R`Mkwj3#tq@x k8,Q\yDIU>H The reservoir's levels rise after consistent rain or snowpack melt in the area. Lake Powells water levels plummeted in early 2005, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . The most probable inflow scenario reflects a median hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 50 percent of the time. @) .=] j Bvq2 4=B4[YCO@p/e`5[ #("A3?M|Cd(Jje(B_il:.\7m=.{CZ&&q5O}NOB6jGptUEN1Dh'6dW30oLqmt1W#F/qy<5aJ5 LuQmB(JD'4z`9q#v k[ T 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. 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). The sediment-filled Colorado River appeared green-brown. By Leia Larsen. Hydrologists recently updated the model that forecasts the level of Lake Powell. Additionally, there are possible inflow scenarios that would result in reservoir elevations falling outside the ranges indicated in these reports. | 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 . Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Wind affected on the west and south facing aspects of the Gore Range seen on, April 7, 2022, near Vail. To view the 2023 progession of snowpack above Lake Powell, click on Lake Powell Snow Chart. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. 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