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 will likely 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 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 around 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 properties and businesses in seven states.

The agency stated in an announcement Tuesday's decision was supposed to protect "hydropower generation, 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 because it considers longer-term measures.

"We've got by no means taken this step before, however the potential risk on the horizon demands immediate action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo told reporters. "We need to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir earlier than we face a bigger crisis."

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

Bryan Hill, normal manager of the general public energy utility in Page, Arizona, likened the scenario to judgment day.

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill previously told CNN. "Judgment day being when we haven't any water to provide anyone."

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

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

Lake Mead's water stage is now low sufficient to expose one of many reservoir's unique, 1971 water intake valves for the first time. The valve can no longer draw water, in accordance with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency responsible for managing water resources for two.2 million folks in southern Nevada, including Las Vegas.

Officers over the weekend made another disturbing discovery introduced on by Lake Mead's plummeting water degree: a physique in a barrel police say is a probable homicide victim from the 1980s.

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