Colorado River Forecast Warns that Just One-Third of Normal Water Could Flow to Lake Powell

Heat dome could kill hopes of boosting record-low snowpack in Colorado River Basin

Lake Powell could only receive a third of the water it has on average, forecasters say. That’s a problem for Lake Mead and Southern Nevada.

Colorado River forecast warns that just one-third of normal water could flow to Lake Powell

As a record-hot winter continues across much of the West, forecasters are dialing back estimates for how much water will flow into the Colorado River during the spring runoff. The latest models show that the Colorado River is projected to deliver only about 2.3 million acre feet of water — about one-third of normal — to Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir, this summer. Colorado River Basin Forecast Center hydrologist Cody Moser sa…

Lake Powell water levels remain below full capacity as drought planning continues

Water levels at Lake Powell remain far below full capacity as officials continue working on long-term plans for managing the drought-strained Colorado River.As of early March, the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam is roughly one-third full. The lake’s surface el­evation sits more than 150 feet below full pool, leaving the familiar white “bathtub ring” visible along canyon walls throughout the reservoir.For Kane County residents, the lake’s condit…

A record warm winter could send Lake Powell to a historic low. Flaming Gorge may be its lifeline

A cream-colored band lines the orange sandstone walls that rise above the blue-green waters of Lake Powell. The so-called “bathtub rings,” these chalky layers remind boaters zooming across the popular reservoir how far the lake has fallen. After two decades of drought and an exceptionally warm winter, those rings will likely soon span even wider […]