Nickel Features
Lake Powell water levels are expected to increase ever so slightly from this year’s low water mark  after a disappointing 2006-2007 winter snowpack.

The water year, which starts in October, got off to a huge start as heavy rains pummeled the Lake Powell drainage area early in the month. The result was an October 200% of historic averages.

The rest of the winter turned sour for water watchers. Only February made historic average numbers, while November, December January and March were below normal.
As the April-through-July runoff season started, snowpack above Lake Powell was standing at only 64% of average.

Precipitation and snowpack in all of the marjor river drainages feeding Lake Powell were below average this winter. Snow water in the Gunnison River basin stood at 75% of average in mid-April. The Upper Colorado River Basin was at 83%, while the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan River basins were at 87%.

The Upper Green River in Wyoming had snow water 67% of normal, with the lower Green River standing at 61%.

Drainage areas in Utah faired even worse where the Green River basin mustered only 44%.

March inflow in to the reservoir stood at 120% of average due to warmer than normal March temperatures. The spike in March flows is expected to net a significantly reduced April-through-July runoff.

The National Weather Service, in its April final forecast, projected 4 million acre feet of runoff for Lake Powell, about half of historic averages.

Water managers project that lake levels will peak at 3,606 fee in late June, about 87 feet below the all-time high water mark of 3,693. Last year’s average lake level was 3,600 feet.

Lake Powell reached its seasonal low point at 3,597 feet March 16 of this year, which represents about 48% of capacity.

Lake Mead stands at about 54% of capacity. Both reservoirs continue to struggle against a multi-year western drought that started in 2000.

In the summer of 1999, Lake Powell was essentially full. Five dismal water years followed with unregulated inflows totaling 62% of normal in 2000, 59% in 2001, 25% in 2002, 51% in 2003 and 49% in 2004.

Lake Powel water levels dropped to 33% capacity by the end of this cycle.
Water conditions improved in 2005 when inflow was 105% of average. This flow helped raise lake levels 31 feet.

Dry conditions returned in in 2006 when inflow was only 73% of average. 2007 inflows are expected to be at 50% of average.

Lake Powell recreation not hampered by low water

Still down, but not out.

While it is true that water levels at Lake Powell in 2004 hit the lowest level since 1969 when the dam was only six years old and the lake was filling for the first time, it is not true that lower lake levels have diminished recreation opportunities.

Besides, water levels have increased about 20 feet since that low point.
Some would even argue that lower water levels caused by the multi-year western drought have enhanced recreation opportunities.

Enhanced recreation opportunities caused by low water include:

• Hiking and exploring areas that haven’t been seen in more than 30 years. For example, some boaters, when water levels were at their lowest, were lucky enough to see at least part of the famous waterfall in Halls Creek Bay that highlighted Cathedral in the Desert, a famous Glen Canyon landmark.
• Large, sandy beaches are uncovered making great camping for boats or tents.
• Small watercraft have far more nooks and crannies to discover and explore.
• The fishing is improved.

With constant talk about low water, it’s easy to lose sight of just how huge Lake Powell remains.

Consider that at a lake elevation of 3,600 – about what is expected this summer and about 100 feet below capacity – the water is still almost 450 feet deep at the dam.
It took 17 years to fill Lake Powell. The lake is 186 miles long and has 1,986 miles of shoreline. There’s a prime campsite waiting for you somewhere in that nearly 2,000 miles of shore.