Storms Push Lake Powell Up 20 Feet, Temporarily Easing Drought
Record rainfall has lifted water levels in key Southwest reservoirs, but federal officials say Colorado River allocation cuts stand until snowpack peaks.
By Jonathan Ramirez ·
Storms that battered the U.S. Southwest in late October and early November have delivered a sudden influx of water to reservoirs that had dropped to record lows. The flooding forced hundreds of people to evacuate and cut off access to several communities, but it also filled depleted lakes and underground aquifers.
Martin Hoerling, a climate scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, described the event as an unexpected boost from Mother Nature. He noted that the recent rains dwarfed the gains from the previous spring snowmelt. Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the United States, rose more than 20 feet from its mid-September low. As of Friday, the lake remained just over a quarter full, and 15 of its 17 boat launches were still unusable.
Hoerling estimated that continued rain and floodwaters could raise Lake Powell by a total of over 1.2 million acre-feet. That volume is enough to support around 4 million average families for a year. The water source is the Colorado River basin, where decisions on water distribution have already been finalized for the coming period.
In Pagosa Springs, Colorado, storms dumped about 7 inches of rain in October. Before the deluge, more than 10,000 people in the town and surrounding areas were under water restrictions. Town manager David Harris said restaurants were encouraged to serve water only on request. Those restrictions have now been lifted. Harris noted that the storm provided a good start to the winter snowpack in higher elevations.
Northern Arizona also saw substantial gains. Upper Lake Mary, which supplies up to 40% of Flagstaff's water, received more than 3 billion gallons of water since early October. Brian Huntzinger, the Flagstaff water production manager, said the storms added the equivalent of more than two years of water to the town's surface supply. He warned that the system might overflow before snow begins to fall.
In central Arizona, floodwaters gushed into streams feeding the Verde River. Bo Svoma, principal meteorologist at the Salt River Project, said officials released water from two nearly full dams into the normally dry stretch of the river in metro Phoenix. This action managed the flood risk while utilizing the excess water.
Despite the immediate improvements, the region remains in drought. Jack Schmidt, a professor at Utah State University, said the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is unlikely to change its water releases from Lake Powell until snowpack peaks in April. Mary Carlson, a spokesperson for Reclamation, acknowledged that conditions have improved but stated that considerable uncertainty remains. California, Nevada, and Arizona will collectively reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet annually in the next two years under the federal plan. Nevada and Arizona are currently challenging this plan in court.
