Lake Powellthe second-largest man-made reservoir in the USA, has misplaced almost 7% of its potential storage capability since 1963, when Glen Canyon Dam was constructed, in accordance with a brand new report.
Along with water loss as a consequence of intense multi-year droughtthe U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation report discoveredLake Powell confronted a mean annual lack of storage capability of roughly 33,270 acre-feet, or 11 billion gallons, per yr between 1963 and 2018.
That is sufficient water to fill the Nationwide Mall’s reflecting pool about 1,600 occasions.
The capability of the reservoir decreases as a consequence of sediments flowing from the Colorado and San Juan Rivers, in accordance with the report. These sediments settle to the underside of the tank and reduce the whole quantity of water the tank can maintain.
As of Monday, Lake Powell was about 25 p.c full, in accordance with Bureau of Reclamation knowledge.
That is unhealthy information for a area already going through water shortages and excessive wildfires as a consequence of drought. Drought consultants from the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated final week that these circumstances are ought to at the least proceed – and even worsen – within the months to return.
Lake Powell is a serious reservoir within the Colorado River Basin. Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, have been emptying at an alarming price. In August, the federal authorities declared a water scarcity on the Colorado River for the primary time after the water stage in Lake Mead. plunged to unprecedented rangestriggering necessary reductions in water consumption in Southwestern states beginning in January.
And final week, Lake Powell dived under the essential threshold of three,525 toes above sea stage, elevating extra considerations in regards to the water provide and hydropower technology that tens of millions of individuals within the West depend on for his or her electrical energy.
The significance of dwindling water provides alongside the Colorado can’t be overstated.
The system supplies water to greater than 40 million individuals residing in seven western states and Mexico. Lakes Powell and Mead present a essential provide of consuming water and irrigation for many individuals within the area, together with rural farms, ranches, and indigenous communities.
“It’s vitally vital that we’ve one of the best scientific data obtainable, like this report, to supply a transparent understanding of water availability in Lake Powell as we plan for the longer term,” Tanya Trujillo, Secretary Deputy for Water and Science on the U.S. Division of the Inside. , stated in an announcement. “The Colorado River system faces a number of challenges, together with the results of a 22-year drought and the elevated impacts of local weather change. »