Lake Powell officials 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 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 enhance Lake Powell by nearly 1 million acre-feet of water. The reservoir contained about 5.8 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, based on the bureau, though its full capacity is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a couple of 25% chance the Glen Canyon Dam may have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates power for as many as 5.8 million properties and companies in seven states.

The company said in a statement Tuesday's choice was intended to guard "hydropower era, the power's key infrastructure, and the water supply for the town 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.

"We now have by no means taken this step earlier than, however the potential threat on the horizon demands prompt motion," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo instructed reporters. "We have to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir before we face a bigger disaster."

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

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

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill previously told CNN. "Judgment day being when we don't have any water to offer anybody."

The selections made for Lake Powell also have an effect on its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the largest reservoir in the nation.

Water cuts for those who rely on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's decision may result in further restrictions.

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

Officials over the weekend made one other disturbing discovery introduced on by Lake Mead's plummeting water stage: a body in a barrel police say is a probable 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 is probably that we will find additional our bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead" because the water degree drops more.