Lake Powell officials 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 be held again in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute of being despatched to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will increase Lake Powell by practically 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 capacity is round 25 million acre-feet.

With out the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a couple of 25% probability the Glen Canyon Dam could have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates power for as many as 5.8 million houses and companies in seven states.

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

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

"We now have by no means taken this step earlier than, however the potential threat on the horizon calls for immediate motion," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised reporters. "We need to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir earlier than we face a bigger crisis."

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

Bryan Hill, basic manager of the general public power utility in Web page, Arizona, likened the scenario to judgment day.

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill beforehand instructed CNN. "Judgment day being when we haven't 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 country.

Water cuts for those who depend on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's determination may lead to further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water level is now low sufficient to show one of many reservoir's authentic, 1971 water intake valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company answerable for managing water assets for two.2 million folks in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

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

"The lake has drained dramatically over the past 15 years," stated Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is probably that we will discover further our bodies which have been dumped in Lake Mead" because the water degree drops more.