Hoover Dam At Record-Low Water Level

Water Shortage Crisis, Hoover Dam is at Record-Low Water Level

MISH

Severe Drought Could Threaten Power Supply in West for Years to Come

The WSJ reports Severe Drought Could Threaten Power Supply in West for Years to Come

The water level at Lake Mead, the Colorado River reservoir serving the Hoover Dam, fell to 1,068 ft. in July, the lowest level since the lake was first filled following the dam’s construction in the 1930s. This month, the federal government is expected to declare a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time, triggering cutbacks in water allocations to surrounding states from the river.

If the water level drops 118 ft. from July’s level, to 950 ft., it would fall below the turbines and the dam must shut down, said Patti Aaron, public affairs officer at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The power declines are significant. At 1,200 ft. water elevation—where it was in the year 2000, when water levels were among the dam’s highest levels—the dam can power up to 450,000 homes. At the current elevation, that figure falls to 350,000.

The California Independent System Operator, or Caiso, which oversees the state’s power grid, last summer resorted to rolling blackouts during a West-wide heat wave that constrained the state’s ability to import electricity. The supply crunch was most acute in the evening, after solar production declined.

Colorado River Supply

Lake Powell feeds Lake Mead. The Colorado River supplies both.

Lake Powell is part of the Colorado River Upper Basin and Lake Mead is in the Lower Basin. 

Think of Lake Powell and Lake Mead as one big reservoir, connected by a Colorado River canal. 

Lake Powell cannot supply Lake Mead with water because Lake Powell is at an even more critical water level than Lake Mead.

I discussed the critical nature of this setup in State of Emergency at Lake Powell: Fears of Hydroelectric and Water Shutoffs Mount