Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for elevations above 4000.Heavy accumulations of 10-20 are forecast above 6000, 3-8 to 4500 and several inches to valley floors. The model is based on weather conditions over a thirty-year span. Precipitation was better, but still slightly below normal in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Low water effects to launch ramps and services top Lake Powell Elevation (05/18/2022) 3526.05 ft Stay in the know! Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Success Stories. Correction: This article has been corrected to indicate that Lake Powell began filling 59 years ago, not 60 years, as the original article stated. But it is concerning. Printable Version Gas Prices on Lake Detailed Map of Powell 15 Day Weather Forecast However, the Bureau of Reclamation's 24-month forecast that was just released at the end of last week projects Lake Mead to be at 1,041.10 feet in January 2023. Significant amounts of snowfall over the winter of 20102011 meant more water for Lake Powell, and this effect lasted into the spring of 2012. 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). Additionally, there are possible inflow scenarios that would result in reservoir elevations falling outside the ranges indicated in these reports. (At normal water levels, both rivers are essentially part of the reservoir.) 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. //-->, Printable Version An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. :pNB/gb2D0p6Ecb :qD_q7wE42TOOSW:Oa^(-]p7y|iZ.8uq:}1y3bJ]!G ) ytRdJp2 +[|}QpEU}V'k{yeKud"xl_-x lJ!UZ`,n!\3{dcb Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powells water level. 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. "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. Part of the Glen Canyon Conservancy Family, Utah D.O.T Charles Hall Ferry for UT Route 276. water-data.com Lake Powell Water Database. Shortages have been implemented by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in areas like Arizona as water levels in the reservoir have consistently dropped for the past 10 years. Learn more at, Photos: Heron Lake, New Mexico, August 2022, Data viz: Elephant Butte Reservoir levels, to increase the volume, depth and power of journalism, https://www.watereducationcolorado.org/fresh-water-news/, www.watereducationcolorado.org/fresh-water-news/. 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. Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents 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.. We are 41% through the Water Year. GCC is the official nonprofit partner of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area & Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Back then, Hannegan said, We made an assumption that our WAPA (Western Area Power Administration) allocation would be firm, reliable and always there. Lake Powell is currently 390.33 feet deep at the dam. With low-runoff conditions and . In July 2021, water levels on the lake fell to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping. 175 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<68753438768B134985CC80C922059B30>]/Index[159 34]/Info 158 0 R/Length 84/Prev 199590/Root 160 0 R/Size 193/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream google_color_link = "0000FF"; The sediment-filled Colorado River appeared green-brown. The declines were first apparent in the side canyons feeding the reservoir which thinned and then shortened. The NOAA forecast center begins releasing monthly water supply forecasts for the Colorado River Basin in December. 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. In order to restore Lake Powell's levels, one expert said people must conserve water in the Colorado River's lower basin. 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. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. 15 Day Weather Forecast SW Satellite Weather SW Water Vapor Lake Powell is down 6.18 feet from one year ago. 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. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. 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. That projection is about 12 feet higher than the 2023 end-of-year mark in the bureau's forecast from December. A 59% flow into Powell translates to about 3.8 million acre-feet. System emergencies occur fairly infrequently and typically require small responses from Glen Canyon Dam. The modeling approach for WY 2023 will apply to 2024. Lund said that throughout the reservoir's history, it has refilled to its original levels just once. Wang suggests updating the reference period more frequently or using the last 20 years as the baseline. Were an initiative of theCenter for Environmental Journalismat the University of Colorado Boulder. We have to take a strong look at what we will do in the unlikely event that Lake Powell stops producing hydropower, said WAPAs Meiman. 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. //-->, Printable Version This level is actually .02 feet . 0.523 maf in Lake Powell from December 2022 through April 2023. We are 37% through the Water Year. The Colorado River flows in from the east around Mille Crag Bend and is swallowed by the lake. google_color_url = "426C95"; The Water Desks mission isto increase the volume, depth and power of journalismconnected to Western water issues. Lake Powell has several launch ramps along its 186-mile length. In January, following the wet December Moser noted, the NOAA forecast called for 98% of the 30-year average to reach Powell. Water availability, appropriate timing of releases, and impacts on other resources are all being considered as the 2022 Plan is being drafted.. The probable maximum inflow scenario reflects a wet hydrologic condition which statistically would be exceeded 10 percent of the time. 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. Chris Outcalt covers Western water issues for The Colorado Sun. The reduction of releases from Lake Powell from 7.48 maf to 7.00 maf in water year 2022 resulted in a reduced release volume of 0.480 maf that normally would have been released from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead as part of the 7.48 maf annual release volume, consistent with operations under the 2007 Interim Guidelines. 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! Lake Powell is at low for water year and down 9.26 feet from the high. The grim forecast comes as water officials race to bolster Lake Powell's water levels. Using the approach described in the immediately preceding paragraph, the August 2022 24-Month Study projected the January 1, 2023, Lake Powell elevation to be less than 3,525 feet. %PDF-1.7 % Snow levels will fall to the lowest locations Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before the storm exits eastern Arizona Thursday afternoon. google_ad_type = "text_image"; endstream endobj 160 0 obj <>/Metadata 41 0 R/Pages 157 0 R/StructTreeRoot 59 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences 177 0 R>> endobj 161 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 792 612]/Parent 157 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 162 0 obj <>stream At the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. google_color_border = "FFFFFF"; His freelance Click for Details, Current Snowpack Conditions for Upper Colorado Basin. 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. Based on current inflow forecasts, the current projected end of water year 2023 total Colorado Basin reservoir storage is approximately 20.93 maf (36 percent of total system capacity). Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. SW Water Vapor, Accessibility of Launch Ramps, Primitive Launches and Other Sites By 2002, the lake level had dropped far enough that the exposed canyon walls created a pale outline around the lake. Telling stories that matter in a dynamic, evolving state. As the forecast season progresses, Surface Water Elevation (feet) Lake Powell End of Month Elevations1 . Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. It can store about five times the average annual flow. He began his journalism career in New Hampshire, then moved West and became a reporter at the Lafayette News. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. Water supply forecasts take into consideration present hydrometeorological conditions and use 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. (For comparison, the 1991-2020 total water year average is 9.60 maf.) In March 2022, it fell below a critical level of 3,525 feet above sea levelthe lake's target elevation. Water levels in Lake Powell dropped to a new record low on Tuesday. The amount of water predicted to flow into Lake Powell this year is down slightly from the previous month, according to the May report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. But the declining water already has drained some of the fun, he said. Water managers, who . 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 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. " 9`SADP zg Ab``#@ 7 3 @) .=] 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 Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. google_ad_format = "160x600_as"; From there, a swing to the northeast delivers boats into Lake Powell's main artery. Note that projections of elevation and storage for water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the season. Projections at Lake Mead show there is a chance as high as 66% that water levels will decline to 1,025 feet by 2025, triggering a Tier 3 Shortage. Now, though, we know that its not firm, its not reliable, and its coming at a much higher cost.. The probable minimum and probable maximum model runs are conducted simultaneously in January, April, August, and October, or when necessary to incorporate changing conditions. For more information on the tools we use, consult, Upper Colorado Mainstem Specific Site Forecasts. Lake Powell