Severe Drought Prompts Water Releases from Upper Basin Reservoirs
The Bureau of Reclamation has initiated emergency measures to address the severe drought affecting the Colorado River Basin. This includes releasing between 600,000 and one million acre-feet of water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, located on the Wyoming-Utah border, over the next year. Additionally, the agency will reduce water releases from Lake Powell through the Glen Canyon Dam, decreasing the flow downstream to Lake Mead. These actions are in response to record-low snowpack levels and a forecasted runoff into Lake Powell that is only 23% of normal. The measures aim to raise Lake Powell's elevation by 54 feet by April 2027, safeguarding its infrastructure and hydropower capabilities. 
