Lake Powell water levels are up

Lake Powell is at its highest level in over three years, even though the 2024 runoff will be below average.

The lake is now 42% full, which is nearly 20% higher than it was last spring. It is now out of danger of falling so low that it would hit a dead pool and be unable to generate electricity at Glen Canyon Dam.

Dr. Kathryn Sorensen, Director of Research at ASU’s Kyl Center for Water Policy, joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk about how the levels are higher than they’ve been and if it will stay that way.

“Let’s take good news when we can,” Dr. Sorensen said. “A couple of things are happening here that are really good and encouraging.”

There was great snowpack this last year, according to Dr. Sorensen. Parts of Colorado also saw quite a bit of rain over the summer which made a material difference in Lake Powell. California, Arizona and Nevada are using historically low amounts of water from Lake Mead in efforts to bolster water levels and avoid further water shortages.

While this is good news, Dr. Sorensen said we need to take it into measure because it is “still only 42%.”

“The Colorado River system can be volatile,” Dr. Sorensen added. “Like you said, there’s a La Niña year coming up, we don’t know what that will mean for snowpack. If we’re not careful, it’s easy for us to use too much water in a year where there’s not enough snowpack and we go right back to square one where we’re looking at really deep shortages.”

Dr. Sorensen said that it is important that the Lower Basin States use less water as a whole to forestall deeper shortages in Lake Mead. It is also important that the Upper Basin States contribute to solving the problem too.

“We’re all dependent on this river, and we need a solution that benefits all of us,” Dr. Sorensen said.