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 12 months. The second is water can be held again in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will increase Lake Powell by nearly 1 million acre-feet of water. The reservoir contained about 5.8 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, in response to the bureau, though its full capability is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a couple of 25% likelihood 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 agency mentioned in a press release Tuesday's resolution was meant to protect "hydropower generation, the facility's key infrastructure, and the water supply for town 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.

"We've got never taken this step earlier than, however the potential risk on the horizon demands prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo informed reporters. "We need to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir before we face a bigger disaster."

Lake Powell has dropped around 100 toes within the last three years as the West has been besieged by drought. As the water level has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capability to generate power.

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

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill beforehand advised CNN. "Judgment day being when we don't have any water to provide anyone."

The decisions made for Lake Powell additionally have an effect on its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the biggest reservoir in the country.

Water cuts for many who depend on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's resolution may result in additional restrictions.

Lake Mead's water degree is now low enough to show one of the reservoir's authentic, 1971 water consumption valves for the first time. The valve can no longer draw water, in line with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company chargeable for managing water resources for two.2 million folks in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made another disturbing discovery introduced on by Lake Mead's plummeting water stage: a body in a barrel police say is a probable murder victim from the 1980s.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the past 15 years," said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's seemingly that we are going to discover additional bodies which were dumped in Lake Mead" because the water level drops extra.