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

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

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will enhance 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 accordance with the bureau, though its full capability is round 25 million acre-feet.

With out the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a few 25% chance 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 company mentioned in a statement Tuesday's resolution was meant to guard "hydropower era, the power's key infrastructure, and the water provide for town of Web page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

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

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

Lake Powell has dropped around 100 toes in the last 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 capability to generate power.

Bryan Hill, normal manager of the public power utility in Page, Arizona, likened the situation to judgment day.

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

The selections made for Lake Powell also affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the biggest reservoir within the nation.

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

Lake Mead's water degree is now low enough to expose one of many reservoir's original, 1971 water intake valves for the first time. The valve can no longer draw water, in accordance with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company answerable for managing water sources for 2.2 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 stage: a body in a barrel police say is a possible murder victim from the 1980s.

"The lake has drained dramatically over the last 15 years," stated Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is seemingly that we'll discover additional bodies which have been dumped in Lake Mead" because the water stage drops more.