Lake Powell is the second-largest man-made reservoir in the United States. It stretches 186 miles along the Colorado River, straddling the border of southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona. It was formed behind Glen Canyon Dam, which was built in the 1960s.
The Colorado River feeds Lake Powell as well as Lake Mead, located farther downstream. The river provides water and electric power to more than 40 million people, including those in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego. It also provides water to irrigate about 5 million acres of farmland.
Last winter’s snowpack was meager across the Upper Colorado Basin. Much of the Colorado Basin is arid or semi-arid, so a large portion of the river’s flow originates as snowmelt from higher elevations. As a result, the Colorado’s normal flow slowed to a trickle. By late August and early September, Lake Powell sat at record low levels.
The US Bureau of Reclamation took steps in April to stabilize Lake Powell and keep it from falling below the level needed to keep the hydroelectric generators working. They released water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in northern Utah and southern Wyoming into Lake Powell. NASA and other agencies are making use of advanced tools for drought evaluation and water management, helping decision-makers throughout the Colorado Basin monitor the situation and respond to its effects.
Drought in the U.S. Southwest has been ongoing since about the start of the new century. Some call it a megadrought and it continues to strain water resources. The problems for Lake Powell and Lake Mead are not going away.
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References:
Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels
