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 year. The second is water might be held back in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute 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 line with the bureau, although its full capability is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was about a 25% probability the Glen Canyon Dam might 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 an announcement Tuesday's choice was meant to guard "hydropower generation, the facility's key infrastructure, and the water provide for the town of Page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

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

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

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

Bryan Hill, general manager of the general public power utility in Page, Arizona, likened the situation 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 offer anybody."

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

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

Lake Mead's water level is now low sufficient to reveal one of the reservoir's original, 1971 water intake valves for the first time. The valve can no longer draw water, in response to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company responsible for managing water sources for two.2 million folks in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made another 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 Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the past 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's probably that we will find additional our bodies which have been dumped in Lake Mead" as the water level drops more.