Wet years in the 1990s and 2000s did not refill the lakes it simply kept them from going lower. The latest forecast would suggest that California, Arizona, Nevada and Mexico would see even more significant cuts to their Colorado River water starting in January, and without a couple of blockbuster winters with lots of rain and snow more severe cuts the following year that would stretch into household and industrial use. ", "There's been a good start to the snowfall season, but it is way too early to know what runoff will look like. At the beginning of 2022, the lake's water levels were at 1,066 feet. Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The worst drought conditions were noted in the San Joaquin Valley and surrounding mountains in California, where the snow cover is virtually non-existent below 8,000 feet, the monitor reported, which has caused the peak snow-melt water to occur weeks ahead of normal. Wintertime snowpack stores precious water that later melts and drains into reservoirs in the spring. California and Nevada have had extremely heavy rainfall in recent days, during one of the severest droughts the region has ever seen. ), they also limit the amount of groundwater that is stored within the landscape," Daniella Rempe, a hydrologist and geomorphologist at the Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas in Austin, previously told Newsweek. the Colorado River has endured a drought for two decades and officials project Lake Mead's water levels will continue . The NPS recognizes the important role that launch ramps and marinas play in the economies of gateway communities and the numerous businesses that operate in the parks, and robust civic and stakeholder engagement will be a part of longer-term planning. On December 1, 2022, the lake's water levels were 1,042.97 feet above sea level, while as of February 1, 2023, they measured 1,046.99 feet. 4:08 PM EDT, Mon July 18, 2022. A Warner Bros. This means that the most probable 24-month study should be considered to have a wet or optimistic bias, Kuhn told CNN, which suggests that its likely the actual levels will run a bit below what the bureau is predicting. Echo Bay will operate on two lanes of concrete; one lane of pipe mat extension will be installed at 1,060 feet elevation. That projection is about 12 feet higher than the 2023 end-of-year mark in the bureau's forecast from December. I would say there is a very good chance as the water level drops that we are going to find additional human remains, Ray Spencer, a lieutenant with the Las Vegas police, said in May. Projection for end of April 2022 is 1,057.14 feet. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Koebele said there are policies being put in place such as the Drought Contingency Plan. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Lake Mead doesn't just rely on rainfall for its water, but snowpack that flows down through the mountains. Exploring the National Park System by RV is one of the quintessential approaches to visiting national parks, monuments, national recreation areas, and other park system units that combined represent what Wallace Stegner defined as the best idea America ever had. This summer a sunken second world war-era boat began to jut out from the water. Lake Mead's water levels are rapidly declining due to the drought. The Bureau of Reclamation's most recent projections show Lake Mead dropping to 1,033.4 feet in elevation by the end of 2023, about 14 feet lower than the reservoir's current level. 2:44 PM EDT, Thu May 26, 2022. The lake has a surface area of 247.1 square miles and spans the Nevada-Arizona border, providing 25 million people across Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah with water. Hemenway Harbor will operate on one lane of concrete; pipe mat extension will be installed at 1,064 feet elevation. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Stock image of Lake Mead in 2021. Which lets just call it now is highly unlikely. Launch ramp access this summer, according to Lake Mead . Lake Mead's water levels have risen slightly with an influx of heavy rainfall, but will that be enough to save the rapidly drying up reservoir? The sudden rainfall which has swept the region has even changed Nevada's drought status, which usually remains pretty static. Falling lake levels could make it tricky to launch your boat at Lake Mead this summer/NPS file. Aridification has led to low soil moisture and reduced runoff efficiencymeaning that even if we get big storms, less of it becomes runoff in the river. Launch ramps at Temple Bar and Boulder Harbor will remain closed. The lake's water levels have risen since December, but are forecast to reach an all-time low later in the year. Great Lakes Water Level Observations. Officials are focused on the wrong problem, advocates say. It is now at its lowest level since the lake was being filled in 1937. More extreme water cuts are all but certain in the Southwest starting next year including new water cuts for California according to the latest government forecast for the Colorado River and Lake Mead, the countrys largest reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation's most recent projections show Lake Mead dropping to 1,033.4 feet in elevation by the end of 2023, about 14 feet lower than the reservoir's current level. Despite the lackluster outlook for Lake Mead's water levels, the drought status of California, Nevada and Arizona has been alleviated significantly by the recent rainfall. Inside were the remains of a man who officials say was shot between the mid-1970s and the early 1980s. "Long periods of low rainfall not only dry up the moisture supply for plants (risking fires and large-scale tree mortality events, etc. These reservoirs were built to store water in wet years in order to mitigate occasional drought. Five-Year Probabilistic Projections of future conditions in the Colorado River system currently extend through 2026. But this year did not bring much-needed precipitation to the river basin. The reduction of releases from Glen Canyon Dam in water year 2022 (resulting in increased storage in Lake Powell) will not affect future operating determinations and will be accounted for as if this volume of water had been delivered to Lake Mead. Jennifer Pitt, the Colorado River program director with the National Audubon Society, an environmental organization, previously told Newsweek: "To refill the Colorado River reservoirs, you would need three average years of snowfall without any water use. The Colorado River irrigates farms, powers electric grids and provides drinking water for 40 million people. The lake is now at 28 percent its usual capacity, while during the summer it was only at 27 percent. They are typically updated every January, April, and August, while probabilistic results for the 2-year period are updated every month. The legal framework is really complicated, but it's urgent to change it right now before the risk increases and there's no water for everyone and everything dependent on water from Lake Meadfarms, birds, major cities, really all life in the Southwest.". Projection for end of October 2022 is 1,047.47 feet. And were still using way more water than the Colorado River reliably produces. There are several policies being put in place to mitigate the low water levels in Lake Mead, including the Drought Contingency Plan, which cuts water deliveries made to Lower Basin states. While July is typically a dry time of year in the region, 2022 was a particularly low point for Lake Mead. Dashed and dot dashed lines represent the 10th and 90th percentiles, respectively. If it reaches this point, the lake, which provides electricity to thousands of people, will reach a dire point. Water levels in Lake Mead reached the lowest they have ever been last July, at 1,040.8 feet. The drought that has scorched the region containing Lake Mead has meant that the reservoir has not refilled as quickly as the water is being used. Launch ramp access on Lake Mohave will remain stable. "The water-supply forecasts look to be above average," Haley Paul, Arizona policy director for the National Audubon Society, previously told Newsweek. And Lake Mead today, Jan. 31 2023. 2023 Cable News Network. "This groundwater is absolutely crucial to supplying streams in [California's] long, dry summers every year, not just during drought," Rempe said. The Colorado River irrigates farms, powers electric grids and provides drinking water for 40 million people. Lake Mead's water levels have risen slightly from 1,042.97 feet at the beginning of December, to 1,045.80 feet as of January 19. There is some opportunity for the Colorado River to pick up more inflow between Lake Powell and Lake Mead, from springs and small creeks in the Grand Canyon but drought and climate change have been reducing these flows, as well. Its lowest predicted point is 1,023 feet a level that would still entail painful cuts for most metro Phoenix cities in September 2023. A crashed B-29 plane has been in the water since 1948. Lake Powell and Lake Mead operations are modeled as if the 0.480 maf had been delivered to Lake Mead for Lake Powell operating tier and condition determination purposes for the U.S. Lower Basin and for Mexico. Lake Mead, seen here on Sunday, is running well below the federal government's predicted water level. National Parks Traveler was formed in the state of Utah for the purpose of informing and educating about national parks and protected areas. Order your guide, either as an ePub ebook for your Kindle or as a PDF version. Registration does not imply endorsement. more information on current conditions Callville Bay launch ramp is open on one lane of pipe mat and will likely close in April 2022 or when the lake level drops below 1,062 feet elevation. The reduction of releases from Lake Powell from 7.48 maf to 7.00 maf in WY 2022 resulted in a reduced release volume of 0.480 maf that normally would have been released from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead as part of the 7.48 maf annual release volume, consistent with routine operations under the 2007 Interim Guidelines. A sunken second world war-era Higgins landing craft that used to be nearly 200ft underwater rests on its side near the Lake Mead Marina on Thursday. Water level status projections from the BOR's March 2022 Most Probable Inflow 24-Month Study: The current water elevation for end of March is 1,063.11 feet. Reclamation only includes about half because thats all the agreements that have been signed. Updated Dropping water levels at Lake Mead have caused its shorelines to recede, exposing boats, barrels and bodies. Part of the agreement to leave water in Lake Powell was that when it came time to declare a shortage, that water would be counted as if it were in Lake Mead. 2. Recent rainfall and an increase in the snowpack on the Colorado Rocky mountains has made more water available for reservoirs like Lake Mead and its neighbor Lake Powell. The reduction of releases from Lake Powell from 7.48 maf to 7.00 maf in water year 2022 will result in a reduced release volume of 0.480 maf that normally would have been released from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead as part of the 7.48 maf annual release volume, consistent with routine operations under the 2007 Interim Guidelines. To help RVers explore these lands and destinations, the National Parks Traveler editors and writers have sifted through the National Park System and come away with the definitive RVing guide to the parks. The ongoing drought in the western United States has been one of the driest stretches seen in the U.S. in the past. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 5-Year Probabilistic Projections presented in the tables below are reported as the percentage of projected Lake Powell and Lake Mead operations that fall below critically low elevations or are within each operational tier in the next five years. The Bureau of Reclamation released the report showing the lake level will drop every month until December, when the forecast shows the lake rising from 1,037.60 feet back up to 1,039.92 feet. Horizontal gray lines represent important elevations for operations. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much People look out at Lake Mead from the Overlook at Hoover Dam Lodge in Boulder City, Nevada, on June 30. The reservoir is also formed by the Hoover Dam, which produces about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power every year. Rain in the region has lifted its water levels recently. Discovery Company. Let us know via science@newsweek.com. But there arent just bodies in the water that comes in from the Colorado River, and experts say as the bathtub ring around the lake grows, more discoveries are waiting. The reservoir relies on rainfall and winter snowpack to replenish its water levels. 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