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

The first step is releasing more water from upstream on the Colorado River this year. The second is water can be held again in Lake Powell itself, instead of being despatched to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the dual actions will boost 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 line with the bureau, although its full capability 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 houses and companies in seven states.

The company said in a statement Tuesday's choice was meant to guard "hydropower technology, the facility's key infrastructure, and the water provide for town of 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 have now never taken this step earlier than, however the potential threat on the horizon calls for immediate action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo informed reporters. "We have to work together to stabilize the reservoir before we face a larger disaster."

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

Bryan Hill, general manager of the general public power utility in Web 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 have no water to present anyone."

The decisions made for Lake Powell also have an effect on 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 resolution might result in further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water level is now low enough to expose one of many reservoir's authentic, 1971 water consumption valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency liable for managing water sources for 2.2 million folks in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officers over the weekend made another disturbing discovery brought on by Lake Mead's plummeting water level: a body in a barrel police say is a likely murder victim from the Nineteen Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically during the last 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is seemingly that we are going to discover extra our bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead" because the water degree drops extra.