Lake Powell officials take emergency steps to protect 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 shall be held back in Lake Powell itself, as an alternative of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the dual 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, in keeping with the bureau, though its full capability is around 25 million acre-feet.

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

The agency stated in a press release Tuesday's choice was intended to guard "hydropower era, the ability's key infrastructure, and the water provide for town of 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've never taken this step earlier than, however the potential risk on the horizon calls for immediate action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised reporters. "We have to work together to stabilize the reservoir before we face a bigger disaster."

Lake Powell has dropped around 100 feet within the last three years because the West has been besieged by drought. As the water degree has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capacity to generate energy.

Bryan Hill, common supervisor of the public energy utility in Page, Arizona, likened the scenario to judgment day.

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

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

Water cuts for individuals who depend on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's decision might lead to further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water level is now low enough to expose one of many reservoir's authentic, 1971 water intake valves for the primary time. The valve can no longer draw water, in response to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company responsible for managing water assets for two.2 million people in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made another disturbing discovery brought on by Lake Mead's plummeting water level: a body in a barrel police say is a possible homicide sufferer from the 1980s.

"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 find further our bodies which have been dumped in Lake Mead" as the water level drops more.