Lake Powell rises 20 feet after floods
Recent storms have added over 1.2 million acre-feet of water to depleted reservoirs across the Southwest, offering temporary relief to drought-stressed communities.
By Julian Schulz ·
Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the United States, has risen more than 20 feet since mid-September. This surge marks a sharp reversal from record lows reached during a yearslong megadrought. Martin Hoerling, a climate scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, noted that the current water levels dwarf gains from this year's snowmelt. Despite the increase, the lake remains just over a quarter full. Fifteen of its 17 boat launches remained unusable as of Friday.
Storms in late October and early November sent torrents through normally small or dry creeks. The overflow cut off access to some areas and forced hundreds of people to evacuate. Most of this water is now feeding depleted lakes and underground aquifers. Hoerling described the influx as an unexpected boost from Mother Nature. The chaotic climate phenomenon known as El Niño has intensified heavy rain, with experts predicting impacts will last several more months.
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 communities were under water restrictions. Restaurants were encouraged to serve water only on request. David Harris, the town manager, said those restrictions are now lifted. He noted that while the storm was destructive, it provided a good start to the winter snowpack in higher elevations.
Upper Lake Mary in Northern Arizona supplies up to 40% of Flagstaff's water. Since early October, the reservoir has received more than 3 billion gallons of water. Brian Huntzinger, Flagstaff water production manager, stated that storms last weekend added the equivalent of more than two years of water to the town's surface supply. This buffer supports an operation that relies heavily on underground aquifers. Huntzinger said the system might overflow before any snow falls.
In central Arizona, heavy floodwaters trapped people in homes before gushing into streams feeding the Verde River. Water officials released water from two nearly full dams into the river's normally dry stretch in metro Phoenix. Bo Svoma, principal meteorologist at the Salt River Project, manages reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers. This release was prompted by the sudden influx of floodwaters.
The region remains in drought despite the intense rains. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is unlikely to change water releases from Lake Powell until snowpack peaks, typically around April. Jack Schmidt, a professor at Utah State University, studies the Colorado River and confirms this timeline. Mary Carlson, a Reclamation spokesperson, acknowledged improved conditions but noted that considerable uncertainty remains.
Under the federal plan for the Colorado River's Lower Basin, California, Nevada, and Arizona will reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet annually over the next two years. This volume is enough to fill over 600,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Larger cuts are possible depending on conditions. Nevada and Arizona are challenging the plan in court. Some Arizona cities have agreed to fund preliminary work to expand an existing dam on the Verde River to capture storm runoff. Hoerling stated that the region still needs to figure out how to be resilient in a drier future.
