Tuesday Top of the Scroll: As the Colorado River shrinks, federal officials consider overhauling Glen Canyon Dam
The desiccation of the Colorado River has left Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, at just 23% of capacity, its lowest level since it was filled in the 1960s. With the reservoir now just 32 feet away from “minimum power pool” — the point at which Glen Canyon Dam would no longer generate power for six states — federal officials are studying the possibility of overhauling the dam so that it can continue to generate electricity and release water at critically low levels. A preliminary analysis of potential modifications to the dam emerged during a virtual meeting held by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which is also reviewing options for averting a collapse of the water supply along the river.
Related articles:
- Summit Daily: Wall Street sees profits in dropping Colorado River levels
- Washington Post: Changes needed to save second-largest U.S. reservoir, experts say
- Reno Gazette-Journal: Lake Mead vs. California’s water needs