14 August 2025
After 25 years of drought within the Colorado River Basin the water ranges at two main dams — Glen Canyon and Hoover — are getting dangerously low.
Right here’s the bath ring at Lake Powell as seen in March 2025 on the Glen Canyon Dam …
… and the bath ring at Lake Mead as seen in August 2024 at Hoover Dam.
Hydrologists at the moment are speaking about the potential of “useless pool” at one among these dams. What’s useless pool and what does it imply for the river?
The Glen Canyon Dam, accomplished in 1966, was designed for the comparatively ample water of the Nineteen Fifties. The dam crest is greater than 3,700 toes above sea stage with two units of pipes for water to cross by the dam: the hydropower consumption at 3,490 toes for producing electrical energy, and the river bypass at 3,370 toes that sends water straight by the dam. This diagram from the Grand Canyon Belief exhibits how the dam works.
They didn’t take into consideration a drought. If Lake Powell’s floor falls beneath 3,370 toes there’s no method water can get by the dam. That’s known as useless pool and it means the downstream river is dry.
This 4-minute video from Arizona’s 3TV CBS explains what’s going to occur.
Mockingly, this implies the Glen Canyon Dam’s helpful life was solely 60 years.
