CNN
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Lake PowellThe second largest man-made reservoir in the United States, has lost nearly 7% of its potential storage capacity since 1963, when the Glen Canyon Dam was built, a new report shows.
In addition to dehydration due to The drought lasted for many yearsUS Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation Report foundLake Powell faced an average annual loss of storage capacity of about 33,270 acres (11 billion gallons) per year from 1963 to 2018.
That’s enough water to fill the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall about 1,600 times.
The capacity of the reservoir is shrinking due to the inflow of sediment from Colorado River and San Juan, According to the report table. Those sediments settle to the bottom of the reservoir and reduce the total amount of water the reservoir can hold.
As of Monday, Lake Powell was about 25% full, according to data from the Bureau of Reclamation.
That’s bad news for an area already facing severe water shortages and wildfires due to drought. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s drought experts said last week these conditions were expected to at least continue – if not worse – in the coming months.
Lake Powell is an important reservoir in the Colorado River basin. Lake Powell and nearby Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoirs, have dried up at an alarming rate. In August, the federal government first declared a water shortage in the Colorado River after Lake Mead fell to an all-time lowactivate mandatory water consumption cuts for states in the Southwest starting in January.
And last week, Lake Powell dip below The critical threshold is 3,525 feet above sea level, raising further concerns about the water supply and hydroelectricity generation that millions in the West rely on for electricity.
The importance of dwindling water supplies along Colorado cannot be overstated.
This system provides water to more than 40 million people living in seven western states and Mexico. Lakes Powell and Mead provide vital drinking and irrigation water supplies for many in the region, including rural farms, ranches, and indigenous communities.
“It is vitally important that we have the best scientific information available such as this report to provide a clear understanding of the water resources of Lake Powell as we plan for the future,” said Tanya Trujillo, assistant U.S. Department of the Interior’s assistant secretary for water and science, said in a statement. “The Colorado River system faces many challenges, including the effects of a 22-year drought and the increasing impact of climate change.”
