May 12, 2008--The West's wacky weather (High Country News)
Some parts of the high country are still trying to dig out from one of the heaviest winters on record (more snow fell in the Rockies May 1), and those in the low country are gearing up for floods. Thanks to an above-average snowpack in the mountains, the rivers in the upper Colorado River Basin are running strong. All that water, says the Bureau of Reclamation, will push Lake Powell’s levels up by 50 feet, meaning the reservoir will be closer to being full than it has been since 2002. But even so, it will be far below capacity. When the reservoir reaches its midsummer peak, the white bathtub ring on Powell’s sandstone cliffs will still be some 60 feet high. Then the ring will start growing again, as extra water is released from the dam to generate juice for the Southwest’s air conditioners and to give the depleted Lake Mead a bit of a boost.
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