Lake Powell officers 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 can be held again in Lake Powell itself, instead of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the dual actions will increase 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 keeping with the bureau, although its full capacity is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was about a 25% probability the Glen Canyon Dam may have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates power for as many as 5.8 million properties and companies in seven states.

The agency said in an announcement Tuesday's decision was supposed to protect "hydropower era, the facility's key infrastructure, and the water provide for the city of Web page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

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

"Now we have by no means taken this step earlier than, but the potential danger on the horizon calls for prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised 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 last three years because the West has been besieged by drought. Because the water stage has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capability to generate energy.

Bryan Hill, normal supervisor of the general public energy utility in Web page, Arizona, likened the scenario to judgment day.

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill beforehand instructed CNN. "Judgment day being when we have no water to present anyone."

The selections made for Lake Powell additionally affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the biggest reservoir within the country.

Water cuts for those who depend on Lake Mead started in January, and Tuesday's decision might lead to additional restrictions.

Lake Mead's water stage is now low enough to expose one of the reservoir's original, 1971 water intake valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, in keeping with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company accountable for managing water assets for two.2 million individuals in southern Nevada, including Las Vegas.

Officers over the weekend made one other 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 1980s.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the past 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's probably that we'll find further bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead" as the water stage drops more.