News that the lake Powell, a reservoir on the border of Arizona and Utah, is slow but sure the dryness was widespread and far away. Behind the 1,320-megawatt Glen Canyon Dam and power plant, Lake Powell plays a vital role in providing electricity to approximately 3 million customers in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
But this year, the reservoir has hit a historic low, due to ongoing drought conditions in the region, at least in part due to climate change. Dams maybe even stop producing electricity if the situation continues to deteriorate, and the problem is not unique to the Southwestern United States.
The Colorado River, a vital source for many dams and power plants in the region, has been plagued by drought for the past 22 years—a few studies suggesting that it was subject to the worst drought the region has seen in 1,200 years. Furthermore, according to the US Drought Monitor, as of March 29, 88.75 percent The western United States has experienced a moderate drought or worse. Other dams in this arid part of the country are having similar effects, according to U.S. Bureau of Corrections officials — though officials also note that each case is different.
According to Becki Bryant, USBR public affairs officer for the Upper Colorado Basin, there are two main factors affecting hydroelectricity production. The first is the amount of water passing through the dam’s generator. The second is the depth of the water supply to the dams. Deeper waters have more force behind as the water flows through and spins the generator’s turbines.
Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam make up an extremely serious case in America. The dam’s minimum power source (MPP) — the point where hydroelectricity is no longer produced at the dam — is about 1,064 meters. Currently, it is at an altitude of 1,075 meters. Recommended projections that there is a 23 to 27 percent chance of achieving an MPP each year from 2023 to 2026, according to Bryant. Other areas of the Colorado River basin, where several other dams are located, are also being affected by the drought. A 22-year drought has reduced energy production in the region by 13.1% compared with the average annual energy output for the previous 12 years (from 1988 to 1999). “The actual impacts after 2023 are difficult to predict, but this trend is expected to continue,” Bryant said.
California Dream
In shocking news no one in the state, California is also dry. However, the nature of California – home to a lot of hydroelectric activity – is slightly different from Arizona, according to Steven Melavic, energy executive director of USBR’s Central Valley Project. Cary Fox, USBR’s team leader, says that if Shasta Powerplant’s reservoir were completely full, it would be a 710 megawatt plant. Currently, the water in its reservoir is low enough that it can generate a low of about 380 megawatts in late autumn.
However, California’s reservoirs can quickly be replenished by wet storms coming from the Pacific. “Reservoirs can recover in a split second,” Melavic told Ars. It’s another form of motivation.
But Fox notes that the reservoirs are really only winter, and that fall will refill with rainfall. “If it doesn’t rain or snow in winter, that’s it. We had a season… This year, that didn’t happen,” said Fox.
