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 yr. The second is water shall be held again in Lake Powell itself, as an alternative of being despatched to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the dual actions will boost Lake Powell by almost 1 million acre-feet of water. The reservoir contained about 5.8 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, in response to the bureau, although its full capacity is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a couple of 25% probability the Glen Canyon Dam might have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates energy for as many as 5.8 million houses and businesses in seven states.

The agency said in an announcement Tuesday's resolution was intended to guard "hydropower era, the facility'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 buy the federal government 12 months as it considers longer-term measures.

"We have now by no means taken this step earlier than, however the potential risk on the horizon calls for prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo told reporters. "We need to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir before we face a larger crisis."

Lake Powell has dropped around 100 ft within the last three years as the West has been besieged by drought. As the water stage has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has lost about 16% of its capability to generate energy.

Bryan Hill, normal manager of the 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 don't have any water to provide anyone."

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

Water cuts for those who depend on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's determination might lead to further 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 not draw water, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency chargeable for managing water assets for 2.2 million people in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made another disturbing discovery brought on by Lake Mead's plummeting water level: a physique in a barrel police say is a possible murder victim from the Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically during the last 15 years," stated Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's possible that we will discover further our bodies that have been dumped in Lake Mead" as the water level drops more.