Low reservoirs put Colorado River water at risk for Yuma County
Adrik Vargas
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Colorado River provides water for farms and homes across the region, but dropping levels at Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam are raising questions about how reliable that supply will be.
The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission recently held the Colorado River Citizens Forum.
One of the main topics was the Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. These reservoirs help control the flow of the Colorado River and provide water and electricity to millions of people.
Officials said the dam can only generate electricity if the lake stays high. If levels drop too low, backup pipes must be used. Those pipes do not generate much power and were not designed for long-term use.
Katrina Grantz, Deputy Regional Director with the Bureau of Reclamation, explained the purpose of the backup system.
“River outlet works are designed for when the power plant is not operational. For example, if there’s a power outage or our plant trips offline, we can still release water downstream to keep the river flowing,” she said.
Officials emphasized their top priority is keeping the dam safe and reliable.
Grantz said, “Our priority at Reclamation is to ensure that we are operating safely, keeping the dam reliable for the public and maintaining this infrastructure for generations to come.”
The meeting also discussed how changes at the dam and Lake Powell affect water supply for communities and farms along the Colorado River, including Yuma County.
Officials noted that total river system storage is down about six percent from last year and that even with decent snowpack, much less water is flowing into the reservoirs.
With Lake Powell and Lake Mead at low levels, local farmers and communities in Yuma County are keeping a close eye on the Colorado River.