Lake Powell officials take emergency steps to preserve hydropower from Glen Canyon Dam

The first step is releasing more water from upstream on the Colorado River this 12 months. The second is water might be held again in Lake Powell itself, instead of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will increase 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 accordance with the bureau, although its full capability is around 25 million acre-feet.

With out the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was a few 25% likelihood the Glen Canyon Dam could have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates energy for as many as 5.8 million properties and businesses in seven states.

The agency said in an announcement Tuesday's determination was supposed to protect "hydropower generation, the ability's key infrastructure, and the water supply for the town of Page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

The emergency actions will buy the federal government 12 months because it considers longer-term measures.

"We now have never taken this step before, but the potential threat on the horizon calls for prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo instructed reporters. "We need to work together to stabilize the reservoir before we face a bigger crisis."

Lake Powell has dropped round 100 feet within the final three years as the West has been besieged by drought. Because the water level has fallen, Glen Canyon Dam has misplaced about 16% of its capacity to generate energy.

Bryan Hill, general supervisor 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 beforehand advised CNN. "Judgment day being when we have no water to give anyone."

The choices made for Lake Powell also have an effect on its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the most important reservoir within the nation.

Water cuts for individuals who rely on Lake Mead started in January, and Tuesday's decision might lead to further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water level is now low enough to expose one of many reservoir's authentic, 1971 water intake valves for the primary time. The valve can now not draw water, in response to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the agency accountable for managing water sources for 2.2 million folks in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officers over the weekend made one other disturbing discovery introduced on by Lake Mead's plummeting water degree: a body in a barrel police say is a likely homicide sufferer from the 1980s.

"The lake has drained dramatically during the last 15 years," mentioned Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Murder Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It's probably that we are going to discover further our bodies which were dumped in Lake Mead" because the water level drops more.