The silty byproduct of Lake Powell

The last time Lake Powell was full was in 1986; today it sits at 1/3 of its capacity and it is expected to end 2021 lower than it is today.  As this reservoir drops, it exposes more and more of the sediment dumps that have been hiding below the water.  As the Colorado River hits the dead current of Lake Powell, it drops its sediment load.  That sediment is clogging the river way and is critical to the health of the river downstream, all the way to the ocean, and yet it can't get there.  In the Returning Rapids episode we learned about the problem of the sediment first hand as we toured the clogged river way; in this episode we talk with the managers of Lake Powell, The Bureau of Reclamation, about their vision and plans for Lake Powell and for the sediment that is now in Powell's wake.  

 

Bureau of Reclamation

Lake Powell

Glen Canyon Dam

High Flow Experiment

Colorado Compact

Disturbance Flow

Colorado River

Cataract Canyon

Hite Marina

Returning Rapids

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Relevant Previous Episodes
"The Returning Rapids of Cataract 2021"

 

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