The Glen Canyon Dam’s ‘antique plumbing’ could cause catastrophic water shortages in the lower basin, according to a new report.
over the last several months to slow Lake Powell’s decline, and protecting electricity production at the dam is often cited as a primary concern.
To explain the issue, the report gives a lesson in engineering. The 710-foot tall dam, which was completed in the 1960s, was not designed to operate for long periods when Lake Powell is filled to less than a quarter of its capacity, as it is now. If Lake Powell reaches 3,430 feet, dam operators wouldn’t be able to release enough water to meet minimum delivery requirements mandated under the Colorado River Compact of 1922 and subsequent agreements between water users in the basin.
But whether the plan will be enough to reverse the overall downward trend in reservoir storage depends on the size and duration of the cuts as well as water runoff. The model is “not meant to be a prediction,” said Eric Balken, executive director of the Glen Canyon Institute. “It’s just to highlight the possibility of this happening…This system is in decline and [delivery shortages] are very much within the realm of reality.”to water managers, Tanya Trujillo, the Department of Interior’s assistant secretary for water and science, acknowledged that delivery shortages could soon become an issue below Lake Powell.
The benefits, costs and feasibility of both options are complex and need to further review, the report stated.to study potential modifications to the Glen Canyon Dam, including retrofitting the river outlet works with turbines so that power could be produced at lower reservoir levels.
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