From Wyoming Public Media (Ashley Picco ne):
A study by the Bureau of Reclamation predicts that the current water levels in the Colorado River Basin will only postpone water shortages.
The study found that water levels in western reservoirs this year are similar to the past few years. John Berggren, a water policy analyst at Western Resource Advocates, said the overall trend in water levels over the past 30 years has been downward.
Because water levels have been in decline, Berggren said one good snow year is not enough to replenish the reservoirs. He said this year will only postpone water shortages by a few years…
Berggren said dry soil, warmer air, and earlier blooms use up more water that doesn’t end up in the reservoirs.
At 710 feet, Glen Canyon Dam is the second highest concrete-arch dam in the United States. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation via the Water Education Foundation)
Coyote Gulch in a borrowed hard hat on the deck of the Arizona powerhouse at Hoover Dam on December 13. 2019.