The water’s up at Lake Powell

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A year ago, things were looking grim on the Colorado River. After more than a decade of drought, the reservoir system was only about half full and water managers were expecting another dry year. Arizona and Nevada faced the prospect of cuts in water deliveries.

Instead, it just kept on snowing and raining in the upper basin last winter and spring. June flows into Lake Powell, which stores water for release to Lake Mead, were 176% of average. July flows were 280% of average.

Powell hasn’t been this high in a decade and the level of Mead, the biggest reservoir in the country, is shooting up. Although it’s too soon to tell whether Colorado’s stubborn drought is over, talk of shortages has been put off for at least several years.

Read more on the water levels at Lake Powell.

Also

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Gov. expected to declare California’s drought over

In a region that imports water, much goes to waste