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

Step one is releasing extra water from upstream on the Colorado River this year. 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 practically 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, although its full capacity is round 25 million acre-feet.

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

The agency stated in a press release Tuesday's choice was supposed to protect "hydropower generation, the facility's key infrastructure, and the water supply for the city of 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've never taken this step earlier than, however the potential threat on the horizon calls for prompt 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 around 100 ft within the last three years because the West has been besieged by drought. As the water level has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capacity to generate power.

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

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill previously told CNN. "Judgment day being when we haven't any water to provide anyone."

The decisions made for Lake Powell additionally affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the biggest reservoir within the nation.

Water cuts for many who rely on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's resolution may lead to additional restrictions.

Lake Mead's water level is now low sufficient to expose one of many reservoir's unique, 1971 water intake valves for the first time. The valve can no longer draw water, in response to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency liable for managing water resources for 2.2 million folks in southern Nevada, including 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 likely homicide sufferer from the Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's seemingly that we are going to find further our bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead" as the water degree drops more.