Officials have started reducing water release from Lake Powell to prevent water levels from becoming too low for hydroelectric production.
Water flow into Lake Powell will hit record lows this summer, reports Andrew Hay for Reuters. The Rocky Mountains saw their lowest snowpacks ever recorded this winter.
"A March heatwave prematurely melted what snow fell during a warm, dry winter, leading to April through July Colorado River flows into Powell that will be only 13% of average, according to the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center." This continues a decades-long drought that has been causing aridification and falling stream levels across the southwest.
If reservoir levels drop low enough, hydroelectric dams could stop producing electricity. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has started to cut water release from Lake Powell to prevent levels from falling too low. "Looking ahead, a forecast strong El Nino weather system could improve flows in the lower basin with heavy summer monsoon rainfall."
FULL STORY: Colorado River to hit record low after worst-ever Rockies snowpacks
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