Because of Extreme Drought, Lake Powell is Barely a Lake Anymore - By Nancy_A
The Glen Canyon Dam holds back the waters of the Colorado River, forming the large Lake Powell, which straddles the border of southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona. Remarkably, after the dam was built, it took 17 years for the lake to fill the canyon to the high-water mark at 1,130 meters above sea level), becoming the US’s second largest human-made lake, after Lake Mead.
But in mid-March 2022, Lake Powell’s elevation dropped to just 1,074 meters above sea level – the lowest the lake has been since it was filled in 1980. The lake now holds less than 30% of its capacity. This drastic drop in water levels is shown here below in natural-color images captured by ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.
The drop in water levels comes as hotter temperatures and falling water levels left a smaller amount of water flowing through the Colorado River. The peak inflow to Lake Powell occurs in mid-to-late spring, as the winter snow in the Rocky Mountains melts. To compensate for the low water levels, federal managers have started releasing water from upstream reservoirs to help keep Lake Powell from dropping below a threshold that threatens hydropower equipment at the dam.This line graph shows the drastic drop in average water levels in March since 2000, when Lake Powell was at around 1,120 meters elevation.
Forecasters predict these conditions are likely to continue across more than half of the continental United States through at least June, straining water supplies and increasing the risk of wildfires. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration the latest outlook for the US, nearly 60% of the continental US is experiencing drought.This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image allows us a wider view of Lake Powell and its dwindling water levels amidst the climate crisis.
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