Lake Powell Water Forecast Update July 2, 2011

Let me just start by saying : It is a VERY GOOD Year here at Lake Powell!

With water levels higher than they have been in a decade, at the same time we are releasing extra water to help “equalize” Lake Mead…. this is a great runoff year!

Lake Powell is currently rising about 8.5 vertical inches a day and while that is stunning, it is down from the middle of June where it rose several days over 12 inches.

Something to think about….. Lake Powell is 186 miles long with almost 1960 miles of shoreline. Picture 8 vertical inches of lake rise on a relatively flat shoreline…. that can be a huge increase of water toward your camp site in the middle of the night.

Full for Lake Powell is 3700 feet above sea level. As of this morning, we are at 3648.95, a rise so far this year of @ 40 feet from the low point in April. At Glen Canyon Dam today the water is 516.95 feet deep about 51 feet from what is considered full.

There is still a lot of snow and water in our drainage area – current snowpack 473% of average and total precipitation at 130% of average.

The Bureau of Reclamation is predicting Lake Powell will peak late in July between 3660 and 3665 feet above seal level or between 35 to 40 feet below full. It has been over 10 years since we have seen water this high, and have had water backed up to the “spillway” gates on either side of Glen Canyon Dam.

With the “equalization plan” in effect for Lake Powell and Lake Mead the amount of water released this year will be well above our legal requirement of 8.23 million acre feet (maf) so Lake Powell will come down quicker heading in to fall and winter.

With so much water, not only heading to Powell but also to Mead, the Bureau may look at and tweak the “equalization” plan. Equalization was also not expected to happen all in one year.

I am heading out to the lake for the next several days so pictures of our new, higher lake levels will follow!

More Information on Lake Powell Water

A Brief History of Water, The Colorado River and Lake Powell

Heather Rankin is a Realtor specializing in the Lake Powell areas of Page, AZ, 86040 and Greenehaven, AZ as well as Big Water, UT, 84741 including new home sales at Indigo Ridge and Toroweap Townhomes in Page.

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