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

Step one is releasing extra water from upstream on the Colorado River this 12 months. The second is water will probably be held again in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute of being despatched 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 capability is round 25 million acre-feet.

With out the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was about a 25% probability the Glen Canyon Dam might have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates energy for as many as 5.8 million homes and companies in seven states.

The company stated in an announcement Tuesday's resolution was supposed to guard "hydropower era, the power's key infrastructure, and the water supply for the city of Page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

The emergency actions will purchase 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 threat on the horizon calls for immediate motion," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised reporters. "We have to work together to stabilize the reservoir earlier than we face a larger crisis."

Lake Powell has dropped around 100 ft in the last three years because the West has been besieged by drought. Because the water degree has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has misplaced about 16% of its capacity to generate power.

Bryan Hill, general supervisor of the public power utility in Page, Arizona, likened the state of affairs to judgment day.

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

The choices made for Lake Powell also affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the country.

Water cuts for many who rely on Lake Mead started in January, and Tuesday's choice could lead to additional restrictions.

Lake Mead's water degree is now low enough to show one of the reservoir's original, 1971 water consumption valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, in response to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company liable for managing water assets for 2.2 million individuals in southern Nevada, including Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made one other disturbing discovery brought on by Lake Mead's plummeting water level: a body in a barrel police say is a possible homicide victim from the Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the past 15 years," stated Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's probably that we are going to discover further our bodies which have been dumped in Lake Mead" as the water level drops extra.