Lake Powell officers take emergency steps to preserve hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam

The first step is releasing extra water from upstream on the Colorado River this 12 months. The second is water will likely be held again in Lake Powell itself, instead of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will boost Lake Powell by almost 1 million acre-feet of water. The reservoir contained about 5.8 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, based on the bureau, though its full capability is around 25 million acre-feet.

With out the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was about a 25% likelihood the Glen Canyon Dam may have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates energy for as many as 5.8 million homes and companies in seven states.

The company stated in a press release Tuesday's determination was supposed to protect "hydropower era, the ability's key infrastructure, and the water supply for town of Web page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

The emergency actions will purchase the federal government 12 months as it considers longer-term measures.

"We now have by no means taken this step before, however the potential threat on the horizon calls for prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised reporters. "We have to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir before we face a larger disaster."

Lake Powell has dropped round 100 toes within the last three years as the West has been besieged by drought. As the water stage has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has misplaced about 16% of its capacity to generate energy.

Bryan Hill, normal manager of the public power utility in Web page, Arizona, likened the state of affairs to judgment day.

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill beforehand advised CNN. "Judgment day being when we have no water to give anyone."

The choices made for Lake Powell additionally have an effect on its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the country.

Water cuts for those who depend on Lake Mead started in January, and Tuesday's resolution could lead to further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water stage is now low enough to reveal one of many reservoir's unique, 1971 water intake valves for the primary time. The valve can not draw water, in line with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency responsible for managing water resources for 2.2 million people in southern Nevada, including Las Vegas.

Officers over the weekend made one other disturbing discovery introduced on by Lake Mead's plummeting water level: a body in a barrel police say is a possible homicide victim from the 1980s.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the past 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is possible that we are going to discover further bodies which were dumped in Lake Mead" as the water degree drops more.