nature & planetGrist
As the Colorado River shrinks, calls to drain Lake Powell grow
Lake Powell, the large reservoir on the Colorado River, is shrinking as drought reduces the river's flow. Advocacy groups are now pushing to drain the lake entirely. Doing so would expose rock arches and spires that have been underwater since the reservoir was filled, and would let wildlife along the river recover. The debate pits the water needs of millions of people who depend on the Colorado against ecological restoration. The lake sits behind Glen Canyon Dam, and its shrinking water levels have become a symbol of the river's stress.
The Colorado River supplies water to cities and farms across several Western states, so debates about Lake Powell reflect a larger question about how the region will manage scarcity.
background
Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, United States. It is a major vacation destination visited by approximately two million people every year. It holds 24,322,000 acre-feet (3.0001×1010 m3) of water when full, second in the United States to only the downstream reservoir of Lake Mead – though Lake Mead has fallen below Lake Powell in size several times during the 21st century in terms of volume of water, depth, and surface area.
Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the 1972 creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer destination of public land managed by the National Park Service. The reservoir is named for John Wesley Powell. This Civil War veteran explored the river via three wooden boats in 1869. It lies primarily in southern Utah, with a small portion in northern Arizona.
From Wikipedia: Lake Powell (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗see
key facts
- Country
- United States
- Located in
- Kane County
- Area
- 658 km²
- Elevation
- 3,704
- Founded
- 1963
Facts: Wikidata (CC0)
Illustrative photo · Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
