The network of pipes and giant tubs, the reservoir water system in the Colorado River Basin, will see some recovery this year thanks to more snow than usual. This bodes well for aquatic habitats in need of improved health.

Overexploitation and 23 years of drought have dried up water stored in reservoirs throughout the basin, which spans seven states, 30 Native American tribes, and parts of Mexico. Recently, even Lake Powell, one of the basin’s largest reservoirs, required emergency discharges from upstream reservoirs such as the Blue Mesa Reservoir in western Colorado to protect it from imminent danger.

As most water officials and experts stress, a good year of snow won’t solve the crisis. But water managers aren’t anticipating the need for drought-related releases from the Blue Mesa, as the largest reservoir in the family will end the year with more water than it started this year.

That means upstream reservoirs benefit from wet years, which could provide more opportunities for discharges that help manage river sediments and strengthen downstream ecosystems, says Western Resources Advocate’s Director of Healthy Rivers. said Bart Miller.

“Having years with very high flow helps balance out years with low flow,” says Miller. “It helps locate channels. It helps remove some of the riparian vegetation that might otherwise encroach. It helps signal spawning for all kinds of native species.”

A recent study found that the Colorado River Basin suffered its worst drought in nearly 12 centuries, and years of drought planning alone weren’t enough to avert a water security crisis. In total, the reservoir system can hold about 58 million acre-feet of water, according to the Recycling Authority. As of March, the system held about 19 million acre-feet, or about 32% of capacity. An acre-foot is enough to water two to three of her households in the United States for her entire year.

In 2021 and 2022, water managers will direct a total of 624,267 acre-feet of discharge downstream to combat drought, as Lake Powell’s water supply drops to crisis levels along with Lake Mead’s water supply. fortified the lake. Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam can no longer produce hydroelectric power if the reservoir falls below a certain water level. If the water level drops too low, the dam will be unable to pump any water downstream.

This year provided temporary relief. Much of the Upper Colorado River Basin, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, experienced above-normal snow cover, with some places approaching record levels. This is a boon for farmers, urban dwellers, recreational people and other water users throughout the basin, which supplies water to approximately 40 million people.

Wet years help slightly replenish the system’s reservoirs. Lake Powell is estimated to receive about 12.9 million acre-feet of water from spring runoff in addition to its current reservoir. 24 months of learning The U.S. Reclamation Service, which manages federal reservoir operations, announced this month. By the end of December, Lake Powell’s water level is projected to be about 3,573 feet. That’s still far from the full capacity of 3,700 feet, or about 26 million acre-feet of storage, but it’s better than near-crisis levels. At the time, the lake had an elevation of 3,536 feet and held approximately 6.64 million acre-feet of water.

The federal government and basin states have a myriad of plans to keep Lake Powell from dropping below 3,525 feet to maintain the buffer zone. The Glen Canyon Dam, near the Utah-Arizona border, cannot generate hydroelectric power below 3,490 feet, and cannot pump water below 3,370 feet into Lake Mead, known as Deadpool.

“So far things look good. There’s no immediate danger of encountering Deadpool, which is great,” said the interstate, federal, and water information officer for the Colorado Water Conservation Commission, the state’s top water agency. Amy Ostdek said. She warned that the situation could deteriorate rapidly in dry years. “We need to keep in mind the need to have a plan in case that happens,” she said.

The agency plans to pump about 9.2 million acre-feet of water to Lake Mead, just east of Las Vegas, which hit a low of 1,046 feet this year in March. The highest elevation of the lake is approximately 1,219 feet, and hydroelectricity cannot be generated below approximately 950 feet.

Meade is expected to end the year at an elevation of about 1,066 feet and release about 8.1 million acre-feet to millions of water users in Arizona, Nevada and California’s Lower Basin. A portion of the water released from the two reservoirs will be allocated to Mexico.

“Having had a rainy year, I think the Lower Basin will have more flexibility to support mead, and we expect them to make the most of the opportunity,” said Ostdeek. Told.

What’s Happening to Colorado’s Reservoirs?

The mountains are pouring in more water than usual, and water authorities are working hard to refill the reservoirs.

Of the emergency releases sent to Lake Powell, approximately 36,000 acre-feet are from Blue Mesa, Colorado’s largest reservoir, and 588,267 acre-feet are from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Utah-Wyoming border. By April 2024, both reservoirs are expected to recover all of the water released, according to the Landfill Authority. 2023 Drought Response Plan It went into effect on Friday.

The plan emphasizes recovery and emphasizes that no releases to drought-related reservoirs are planned for this year. If adjustments are needed, they will be done first at Glen Canyon Dam, then at Flaming Canyon, Blue Mesa (part of the Aspinal Unit of Three Reservoirs), and Navajo Reservoir on the Colorado-New Mexico border. It will be. As planned.

Gunnison County Chamber of Commerce executive director Celeste Helminski said the 2021 emergency release has stalled some local businesses around the Blue Mesa, especially during the 2022 dry season.

“It’s been a tough summer for those who depend on the lake,” she said. “This year has definitely been better. The whole morale of the people who are users of the lake and whose economy depends on it, everyone is definitely happier.”

In 2022, the local marina could not open due to low water levels. Boaters were unable to leave and the campsite was not very full. Retailers were also hit, said Andy Cochrane, who owns a local sporting goods store. His diving and equipment business, GSO Fishing, was not hit as hard, he said.

“Our guide services are already fully booked all summer long and Gene Taylor’s sporting goods store has already seen increased sales around the lake,” he said.

None of the three reservoirs are expected to reach full capacity this year, but some are close to that, according to the agency’s 24-month study.

“I think we’re at the stage now where the 24-month study is really starting to reveal how the rest of the year will play out,” Ostdeek said, adding that the study could be a good fit for people in the near future. Added most helpful – tenure decision making. The report also sheds light on the factors that influence some of the landfill’s decisions, and the August report will be used to set reservoir operations for next year.

A May study estimated that Blue Mesa’s peak will be about 7,514 feet in July, just below its carrying capacity of 7,519 feet. The Navajo Reservoir hit a high of 6,060 feet in May, about 25 feet below its full capacity of 6,085 feet. Canyon of Flame he reaches a maximum elevation of about 6,028 feet in July. Its capacity is 6,040 feet.

“Fortunately, the snow cover was abundant this year, so we were able to concentrate on storing incoming water to recover previously released volumes rather than requiring additional releases to these reservoirs. We did,” Ostdek said.

How will this help the fish?

A spring runoff damaged roads and caused flooding, sending hundreds of rafters to southwest Colorado in search of a rare opportunity to raft the Dolores River. But water authorities and environmental groups are also planning how the release can be used to benefit the environment.

“For the most part, those decisions haven’t been made yet,” Ostdeek said. “I think we’re kind of in a wait-and-see mode of observing runoff and monitoring flood risk.”

Some releases have already started. In April, water managers began releasing large amounts of water from the Glen Canyon Dam for environmental protection.release is part of the experiment It also aims to restore sandbars, beaches and campgrounds along the Grand Canyon, and possibly restore river wildlife.

In Colorado, the Dolores Water Reserve is timing recreational releases from McPhee Reservoir to help downstream ecosystems.

Ken Curtis, district general manager, said the different streams have a variety of benefits, including removing sediment, encouraging cottonwood seeding, removing overgrowth, and eliminating smallmouth bass.

“There’s decades of research behind this. Depending on how much water you have, you do different levels of flow,” he said.

Similar projects are happening around Colorado and along other rivers, including the Lower Gunnison River below Blue Mesa and the Aspinall Unit, which released its own release earlier this month. In the Green River below the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, either the water manager pumps in tons of water to wash away the alien fish while they are still small enough to be washed downstream, To help push native fish larvae into backwater habitats Western Resource Advocates’ Miller said they can grow into adults there.

The Colorado River main stream in Colorado has a 15-mile stretch near Grand Junction and above its confluence with the Gunnison River, which can experience very low flow during the summer months.

Depending on the year, the river region doesn’t have as much peak flow in the spring, but in those years, enough water must flow into upstream reservoirs to drain some of it, he said.

“They can time the discharge and outflow to occur simultaneously, so the river actually swelled and had a natural peak flow that roughly mimicked what the river looked like 150 years ago, before major diversions were made. occurs,” Miller said. He said.

Coordinated operation results in higher peak flows than would otherwise be possible. These higher peak currents help give spawning cues to endangered fish, typically renewing fish habitat over a range of 25 miles.

Later in the season there is an opportunity to use stored water to increase base flow. In some cases, rivers run too shallow, causing warmer waters and disconnects between pools where fish live, he said. “These preserved volumes are available some years and some years they are not. Ruedi Reservoir‘ said Miller, a reservoir to the east of the basalt.