lake powell
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Arizona, Nevada to see Colorado River cuts under federal plan; California unscathed
Update 4 Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science at Interior, added in both the lower and upper basins, the Bureau of Reclamation will look at physical modifications to Hoover and Glen Canyon dams to see if there is a way to allow water to be released below either critically low levels at Glen Canyon…
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Feds to announce plans for Colorado River conservation
Recognizing a seven-state plan to conserve up to 4 million acre-feet of water on the Colorado River is not forthcoming, the Department of the Interior on Monday indicated it’s set to announce water conservation plans of its own. The announcement said senior officials from the department would in a Tuesday virtual press conference address current…
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Tipping Point: Lake Powell reaches record lows amid drought
Drought on the Colorado River is threatening the ability of major dams, including Glen Canyon Dam at Page, Ariz., to produce hydropower, which comprises 54% of renewable energy production in the Southwest. The low levels on Lake Powell have also had a negative impact on recreation, complicating boat access. (Video by Skyler Ballard)
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Tax, climate package includes $4 billion to combat drought in Arizona, Colorado, other basin states
Tucked in the U.S. Senate’s tax and climate package is $4 billion for drought resiliency – money that comes at a critical time as the West grapples with dwindling supply from the Colorado River, depleting reservoirs and a drier climate that’s causing the worst wildfires the region has seen this century. The funding would benefit Colorado…
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States mull unpleasant options as feds demand huge cuts on Colorado River
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming may face requests for voluntary cutbacks in their use of Colorado River water next year, as the federal government eyes releasing more water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir and as Arizona, California and Nevada scramble to find ways to slash water use quickly. Experts say these actions are among dozens…
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Hickenlooper-Barrasso bill aims to reauthorize Colorado River water conservation plan
U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and John Barrasso are teaming up on legislation to help the upper basin states of the Colorado River in their quest to meet the demands by the Bureau of Reclamation to conserve water. The legislation from the Denver Democrat and Wyoming Republican would reauthorize the System Conservation Pilot Program through 2026, to…
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Two new Colorado River deals give parched Lake Powell temporary relief
Drought-strapped Lake Powell has received a major, if potentially temporary, reprieve with two emergency agreements that will provide 1 million acre-feet of Colorado River water this year to boost lake levels and protect hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam. The water will come from an emergency release of 500,000 acre-feet from Utah’s Flaming Gorge Reservoir,…
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OUT WEST ROUNDUP | Officials weigh emergency actions in drought-stricken states
THE WEST Emergency response weighed as drought worsens FLAGSTAFF, Ariz- Federal officials say it may be necessary to reduce water deliveries to users on the Colorado River to prevent the shutdown of a huge dam that supplies hydropower to some 5 million customers across the U.S. West. Officials had hoped snowmelt would buoy Lake Powell…
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Lake Powell drops to its lowest level in history
Anyone who is tied to the Colorado River – farmers, ranchers, water providers, state and federal officials and recreational users – had hoped this day would never come. Or at least not so soon. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Lake Powell, which gets its water from the Colorado River, had dropped to an elevation below 3,525…