Lake Powell officials take emergency steps to protect hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam

The first step is releasing more water from upstream on the Colorado River this yr. The second is water shall be held back in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute of being despatched to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the dual actions will increase Lake Powell by almost 1 million acre-feet of water. The reservoir contained about 5.8 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, according to the bureau, although its full capability is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a few 25% likelihood the Glen Canyon Dam may have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates energy for as many as 5.8 million properties and companies in seven states.

The company stated in a statement Tuesday's determination was supposed to protect "hydropower generation, the power's key infrastructure, and the water provide for the city of Web page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

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

"We have now by no means taken this step earlier than, however the potential risk on the horizon demands prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo informed reporters. "We need to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir earlier than we face a larger crisis."

Lake Powell has dropped round 100 ft within the last three years as the West has been besieged by drought. Because the water degree has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capability to generate power.

Bryan Hill, common manager of the public power utility in Page, Arizona, likened the situation to judgment day.

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill beforehand advised CNN. "Judgment day being when we don't have any water to present anybody."

The selections made for Lake Powell also affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the biggest reservoir in the nation.

Water cuts for many who depend on Lake Mead started in January, and Tuesday's decision might lead to additional restrictions.

Lake Mead's water degree is now low enough to expose one of the reservoir's unique, 1971 water intake valves for the first time. The valve can no longer draw water, in accordance with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency responsible for managing water resources for 2.2 million people in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

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

"The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is likely that we are going to discover extra bodies which were dumped in Lake Mead" because the water level drops extra.