Lake Powell’s plunge toward ‘dead pool’ puts New Mexico reservoir in play
Amid a prolonged megadrought, the Bureau of Reclamation is predicting that Lake Powell, one of the Colorado River’s most crucial reservoirs, may drop to a “dead pool,” preventing the production of hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam. But, water managers won’t let that happen. They’ll first tap into reservoirs further upstream – including in New Mexico. … For the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell, Reclamation is projecting that water levels will sink well below the 3,500-foot dead pool elevation threshold next year. … [T]o keep the generators going, Colorado River managers will tap into upstream reserves elsewhere. That includes Navajo Lake near Farmington, which primarily stores water from the San Juan River for local irrigation and other uses.
Other drought news around the West:
- Colorado Public Radio: Drought blankets most of Intermountain West, including Colorado — and will likely get worse
- FOX5/KUSI (San Diego): Is California in store for a drought? What you need to know
- The Conversation: As the Colorado River slowly dries up, states angle for influence over future water rights
- NASA: Blog: US-German water satellites show continental dry spots are getting drier
