Lake Powell’s side branches had all retreated compared to the previous year’s extents.
By 2002, the lake level had dropped far enough that the exposed canyon walls created a pale outline around the lake.ĭry conditions and falling water levels were unmistakable in the image from April 13, 2003. The declines were first apparent in the side canyons feeding the reservoir which thinned and then shortened. In the early years of this image series, water levels began to drop. The sediment-filled Colorado River appeared green-brown.
OUR GLOBAL FUTURE WHEN THE RIVER RUNS DRY SERIES
(Due to the angle of sunlight, this image may cause an optical illusion known as relief inversion.)Īt the beginning of the series in 1999, water levels in Lake Powell were relatively high, and the water was a clear, dark blue. (At normal water levels, both rivers are essentially part of the reservoir.) Sunlight brightens plateaus and southeast-facing slopes, casting shadows on the northern and western faces of the rugged landscape. At the west end of Narrow Canyon, the Dirty Devil River joins the lake from the north. The Colorado River flows in from the east around Mille Crag Bend and is swallowed by the lake. Combined with water withdrawals that many believe are not sustainable, the drought has caused a dramatic drop in Lake Powell’s water level.Ĭhanges in the northeastern reaches of Lake Powell are documented in this series of natural-color images taken by the Landsat series of satellites between 19. In the early 21st century, this modern marvel of engineering faced an ancient enemy: prolonged drought in the American Southwest. The deep, narrow, meandering reservoir extends upstream into southern Utah. The system is appreciated for the water it supplies, but criticized for the environmental problems and cultural losses that have resulted from its creation.Īmong the dams on the Colorado is Arizona’s Glen Canyon Dam, which creates Lake Powell. Along its route, the river passes through an elaborate water-management system designed to tame the yearly floods from spring snowmelt and to provide a reliable supply of water for residents as far away as California. The Colorado River flows from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado through the southwestern United States.
0 kommentar(er)
