At the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. In July 2022, the lake reached a historic low of 1,040 feet above sea level. From there, a swing to the northeast delivers boats into Lake Powell's main artery. Were an initiative of theCenter for Environmental Journalismat the University of Colorado Boulder. swE{,,;o0U|+/ :u7j@;pGh00gr\j30sAD+ ON 9 a greater portion of the future hydrologic and climatic uncertainty becomes known and Snow levels will fall to the lowest locations Wednesday night into Thursday morning, before the storm exits eastern Arizona Thursday afternoon. This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter(s). About 40 million people rely on the Colorado River for domestic use and farmers and ranchers use water from the river to irrigate more than 3 million acres of farmland. We are 41% through the Water Year. He said the soil moisture conditions were still well below normal across western Colorado, particularly in the southwest part of the state. As of Wednesday, the water level was 3,524.22 feet. Hourly releases during February 2023 will fluctuate from a low of approximately 5,797 cfs during the early morning hours to a high of 10,091 cfs during the afternoon and evening hours. With low-runoff conditions and . google_color_text = "000000"; These long-term projections help water managers plan for future shortages, which are increasingly likely in the Colorado River Basin, in part because of warmer temperatures brought on by global climate change. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; Sunday, February 26, 2023 12:00:00 AM Level is 178.87 feet Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. The May report, released last week, is the final runoff prediction for the season. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email atjerd@wateredco.orgor @jerd_smith. Detailed Map of Powell Antelope Point Launch Ramp Bullfrog Main Launch Ramp Committee on the Scientific Bases of Colorado River Basin Water Management, National Research Council. Water levels in Narrow Canyon had dropped enough to show canyon floor features not visible in earlier images. :pNB/gb2D0p6Ecb :qD_q7wE42TOOSW:Oa^(-]p7y|iZ.8uq:}1y3bJ]!G ) ytRdJp2 +[|}QpEU}V'k{yeKud"xl_-x lJ!UZ`,n!\3{dcb 159 0 obj <> endobj An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to fill one acre of land to a height of one foot. The actual end of water year 2023 system storage may vary from this projection, primarily due to uncertainty regarding this seasons runoff and reservoir inflow. She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. Reclamation will continue to carefully monitor hydrologic and operational conditions and assess the need for additional responsive actions and/or changes to operations. 8_9dyB`n`` +30|@,6a # Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. The declines were first apparent in the side canyons feeding the reservoir which thinned and then shortened. Prepared by Ashley Nielson NOAA, National Weather Service Colorado Basin River Forecast Center Salt Lake City, Utah www.cbrfc.noaa.gov Contents Lake Mead's water levels . If Glen Canyon Dam ceases to operate, we are going to have to replace that power somewhere else and it will have a bigger carbon footprint, said Bryan Hannegan, CEO of Holy Cross Energy, which buys Lake Powells hydropower to serve customers in Western Colorado. Colorado River Basin Water Management: Evaluating and Adjusting to Hydroclimatic Variability. Printable Version Gas Prices on Lake Detailed Map of Powell 15 Day Weather Forecast Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and been featured on Science Friday. Note that projections of elevation and storage for water year 2023 have significant uncertainty at this point in the season. Despite those releases, Powell dropped below 3,525 last month, hitting 3,523, another historic drought landmark. Lake Powell is currently 390.33 feet deep at the dam. For more information on the tools we use, consult, Upper Colorado Mainstem Specific Site Forecasts. The plan can be found at the following website: https://www.usbr.gov/dcp/droa.html. Depending on the severity of the system emergency, the response from Glen Canyon Dam can be significant, within the full range of the operating capacity of the power plant for as long as is necessary to maintain balance in the transmission system. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species Success Stories. Based on current inflow forecasts, the current projected end of water year 2023 total Colorado Basin reservoir storage is approximately 20.93 maf (36 percent of total system capacity). What's the weather forecast for 2050? U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. " 9`SADP zg Ab``#@ 7 3 A 59% flow into Powell translates to about 3.8 million acre-feet. google_color_url = "426C95"; It will be among the lowest years of generation ever, said Nick Williams, power manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations Upper Colorado River Region in an interview last week. It can store about five times the average annual flow. That reference period is updated once a decade; it now begins in the 1990s. There are continued discussions when and how that same amount of water (0.523 maf) will be . By Anna Skinner On 1/18/23 at 4:42 PM EST. There is a 10 percent chance that inflows could be higher than the current maximum probable forecast and a 10 percent chance that inflows could be lower than the minimum probable forecast. The March 2023 releases are anticipated to fluctuate between a low of 5,276 cfs to a high of 9,641 cfs. Wednesday snow and wind will be heavy at times leading to difficult if not impossible travel. The water level in Lake Powell was at a record low when rain and snow began to fall across the Colorado River Basin in October, soaking dry soils ahead of the winter season. Soil moisture conditions have improved over the last year across most of Colorados Western Slope, but thats not necessarily saying much because of how bad soil moisture conditions were heading into last years snowmelt runoff season, Moser said. Additionally, there are possible inflow scenarios that would result in reservoir elevations falling outside the ranges indicated in these reports. Reclamation will continue to consult with the Basin States, Basin Tribes, the Republic of Mexico and other partners on Colorado River operations to consider and determine whether additional measures should be taken to further enhance the preservation of these benefits, as well as recovery protocols, including those of future protective measures for both Lakes Powell and Mead. Chris Outcalt covers Western water issues for The Colorado Sun. 2018 brought some relief after a wet winter. Based on the current forecast of 10.44 maf unregulated inflow for water year 2023, the February 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell elevation will end water year 2023 near 3555.45 feet with approximately 7.47 maf in storage (32 percent of capacity). Last July, to protect the 3,525 buffer zone, Reclamation ordered emergency water releases from three reservoirs in the Upper Colorado River Basin. inflow forecast for water year 2022 by approximately 2.2 million acre-feet from . View our Current Membership Thank You Gifts, KNAU News Talk - Arizona Public Radio | Click below for water level and accessibity updates about the launch ramps and services near you. https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/news-release/4294, https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/#/news-release/4196, USGS site #09180500 - Colorado River near Cisco, UT, USGS site #09315000 - Green River at Green River, UT, USGS site #09379500 - San Juan River near Bluff, UT, USGS site #09380000 - Colorado River at Lees Ferry, AZ, Snowpack Conditions Upper Colorado Region Above Lake Powell, Lake Powell Inflow Forecast April-July Inflow Forecast, Current Water Year Inflow Forecast Monthly Outlooks, Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, LTEMP - Long-Term Experimental & Management Plan, Report to Congress - Operations of Glen Canyon Dam - Water Year 2015-2016, National Park Service Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, National Park Service Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. Antelope Point Marina on Feb. 3, 2022, in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area near Page. Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powells water level. The Colorado River flows from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado through the southwestern United States. . However, the Bureau of Reclamation's 24-month forecast that was just released at the end of last week projects Lake Mead to be at 1,041.10 feet in January 2023. The forecast for water year 2023 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell, issued on January 5, 2023, by the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center, projects that the most probable (median) unregulated inflow volume in water year 2023 will be 9.5 maf (99 percent of average). (2019-2021) AND my own personal prediction of 2022 based on p. The system is appreciated for the water it supplies, but criticized for the environmental problems and cultural losses that have resulted from its creation. On Tuesday, the lake fell below 3,525 feet above sea level, a key target elevation that water managers have been trying to keep Powell above because it provides a buffer from the minimum level at which Glen Canyon Dam can generate power. endstream endobj startxref After decades of drought, the water level in Lake Powell has sunk to unimaginable lows, threatening millions of people who rely on the water supply. That projection is about 12 feet higher than the 2023 end-of-year mark in the bureau's forecast from December. The forecast is changing daily and there are still a lot of variables, said Lisa Meiman, a spokeswoman for WAPA. Lake Powell
lake powell water level forecast 2022