Storms Raise Lake Powell By 5 Feet In October

October storms have caused the surface elevation of Lake Powell to rise 5 feet, according to this article in the Grand Junction (Colorado) Sentinel.

Normally, the lake’s level drops slightly through the fall, and the lake doesn’t start to rise until snowmelt swells in the late spring. But October storms have dumped on southern Utah and western Colorado, and the resulting runoff eventually ends up in Powell.

This is the 50th anniversary of the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956, which authorized the building of Glen Canyon Dam. The Sentinel article says Lake Powell proved its usefulness during the recently ended drought. Water stored in the reservoir was released to keep Colorado River flows up, minimizing drought damage in the Southwest. Some environmentalists favor decommissioning the dam, but Bureau of Reclamation officials say that isn’t going to happen.

The National Park Service has issued this news release touting fall recreational opportunities at Lake Powell, which is located in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.