Current Storage and Elevation

Why storage and elevation look different

Current Operation

Monthly Operational Flows - Last 12 Months

Daily Operational Flows - Last 30 Days

Total release water-year to date:

Implied full water-year release at recent pace:YTD release + (remaining WY days × average daily release over last 7/30 days)

Implied current month release at recent pace:

Near-Term Outlook

Upstream Active Storage Potential

Lake Powell is just one of many reservoirs that make up the Colorado River storage system operated by the US Bureau of Reclamation. While there are a number of reservoirs upstream of Lake Powell, their collective volume is dwarfed by the capacity of Lake Powell. It is not unheard of for USBR to deliver emergency releases of water from upstream reservoirs to Lake Powell.112021-2022 Drought Response Operations Summary - Flaming Gorge Release¹

Total current upstream active storage potential:

–

Individual reservoir current active storage potential:

Flaming Gorge: –
Navajo: –
Aspinall Unit: –
Fontenelle: –

Current Operational Context

Glen Canyon Dam operations would remain consistent with the existing 2007 Interim Guidelines except if Lake Powell is in the Middle Elevation Release Tier or Lower Elevation Balancing Tier, when a mid-year adjustment could be made to reduce the annual volume to no less than 6.0 maf. This mid-year adjustment would be permissible only if the minimum probable scenario in the 24-Month Study shows Lake Powell dropping below 3,500 feet at any point in the following 12 months.

Near-term Colorado River Operations are guided by the Supplement to the 2007 Colorado River Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages and the Coordinated Operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead - Record of Decision from May 2024.²