Total storage behind Hoover, Glen Canyon Dams

While all eyes have been on Lake Mead’s bathtub ring, Lake Powell is forecast to rise by nearly 1.4 million acre feet by the end of September. But Mead’s 2 million acre foot drop will more than offset the increase, leaving us with the lowest end-of-year total storage in the two reservoirs combined since 1967, when they were first filling Lake Powell:

Total storage in Mead and Powell

Total storage in Mead and Powell

Data courtesy USBR, my summary spreadsheet is here.

One Comment

  1. Last Summer I drove Ut 76 which crosses Lake Powell at Hite. The water level was so low that the service area was high and dry and they had to build new boat launch ramps. Note that at that time (As likley now) the ferry a bit lower down the reservior was out of service due to the water level. The amount of what one could all the Powell formation i.e. lake sediments visibile was large, and you could see the channel left that had water in it.

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