Lake Powell officers take emergency steps to protect 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 back in Lake Powell itself, as a substitute of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the dual 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 line with the bureau, although its full capacity is around 25 million acre-feet.

With out 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 power for as many as 5.8 million homes and companies in seven states.

The agency mentioned in a press release Tuesday's resolution was supposed to guard "hydropower era, the facility's key infrastructure, and the water supply for the town of Web page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

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

"Now we have by no means taken this step before, but the potential threat on the horizon demands immediate action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised reporters. "We have to work together to stabilize the reservoir before we face a bigger disaster."

Lake Powell has dropped round 100 toes within the last three years because the West has been besieged by drought. Because the water level has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has misplaced about 16% of its capability to generate energy.

Bryan Hill, common manager of the general public energy utility in Web page, Arizona, likened the situation to judgment day.

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

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

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

Lake Mead's water stage is now low sufficient to show one of many reservoir's unique, 1971 water consumption valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, in accordance with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company answerable for managing water assets for two.2 million people in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made one other disturbing discovery brought on by Lake Mead's plummeting water level: a physique in a barrel police say is a likely murder sufferer from the Nineteen Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically during the last 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is possible that we will discover extra our bodies which were dumped in Lake Mead" as the water level drops more.