Lake Powell officers take emergency steps to protect hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam

Step one is releasing more water from upstream on the Colorado River this yr. The second is water shall be held back in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute of being despatched to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will enhance Lake Powell by almost 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.

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

The company said in a press release Tuesday's determination was supposed to protect "hydropower era, the power'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 purchase the federal government 12 months as it considers longer-term measures.

"We have never taken this step before, however the potential threat on the horizon demands prompt motion," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo instructed reporters. "We need to work together to stabilize the reservoir before we face a larger disaster."

Lake Powell has dropped around 100 toes in the final three years as the West has been besieged by drought. Because the water stage has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capacity to generate power.

Bryan Hill, normal supervisor of the public energy 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 have no water to present anybody."

The decisions made for Lake Powell also affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the most important reservoir within the country.

Water cuts for individuals who rely on Lake Mead started in January, and Tuesday's decision could lead to further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water level is now low sufficient to expose one of many reservoir's unique, 1971 water consumption valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company responsible for managing water resources for 2.2 million individuals in southern Nevada, including 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 murder victim from the Eighties.

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