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

Step one is releasing more water from upstream on the Colorado River this year. The second is water will be held again in Lake Powell itself, instead of being sent to downstream states.

The US Bureau of Reclamation expects the twin actions will enhance Lake Powell by nearly 1 million acre-feet of water. The reservoir contained about 5.8 million acre-feet of water as of Tuesday, based on the bureau, although its full capacity is round 25 million acre-feet.

Without the emergency steps, the bureau estimated there was about a 25% chance the Glen Canyon Dam might have stopped producing hydropower by January. The dam generates power for as many as 5.8 million properties and companies in seven states.

The agency mentioned in an announcement Tuesday's choice was supposed to protect "hydropower technology, the power's key infrastructure, and the water provide for the town of Page, Arizona, and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation."

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

"We've got by no means taken this step earlier than, but the potential danger on the horizon calls for prompt action," Assistant Secretary of Water and Science, Tanya Trujillo advised reporters. "We need to work collectively to stabilize the reservoir earlier than we face a bigger disaster."

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

Bryan Hill, general manager of the public energy utility in Page, Arizona, likened the scenario to judgment day.

"We're knocking on the door of judgment day," Hill beforehand informed CNN. "Judgment day being when we have no water to provide anybody."

The selections made for Lake Powell additionally affect its downstream neighbor, Lake Mead, which is the most important reservoir within the nation.

Water cuts for individuals who depend on Lake Mead began in January, and Tuesday's determination could lead to further restrictions.

Lake Mead's water degree is now low sufficient to expose one of the reservoir's unique, 1971 water intake valves for the first time. The valve can now not draw water, in response to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the company chargeable for managing water assets for 2.2 million folks in southern Nevada, together with Las Vegas.

Officials over the weekend made one other disturbing discovery introduced on by Lake Mead's plummeting water stage: a body in a barrel police say is a probable murder sufferer from the Nineteen Eighties.

"The lake has drained dramatically during the last 15 years," said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer. "It is seemingly that we'll find extra our bodies which have been dumped in Lake Mead" because the water stage drops more.