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U.S. NEWS Thursday 17 March 2022
Lake Powell hits historic low, raising hydropower concerns

Associated Press rado in what they called
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A "emergency releases" to re-
massive reservoir known as plenish Lake Powell. In Jan-
a boating mecca dipped uary, the agency also held
below a critical threshold back water scheduled to
on Tuesday raising new be released through the
concerns about a source dam to prevent it from dip-
of power that millions of ping even lower.
people in the U.S. West rely Anxieties stretch beyond
on for electricity. hydropower. Last summer,
Lake Powell's fall to below tourism and boating were
3,525 feet (1,075 meters) hobbled by falling lake
puts it at its lowest level levels. The Glen Canyon
since the lake filled after National Recreation Area
the federal government is taking advantage of the
dammed the Colorado low levels at Lake Powell to
River at Glen Canyon more extend boat ramps. Most
than a half century ago — a are now closed or come
record marking yet another with warnings to launch at
sobering realization of the your own risk.
impacts of climate change In Page, Arizona, which
and megadrought. This September 2016 photo shows Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Ariz., which impounds Lake benefits from recreation
It comes as hotter tem- Powell. at Lake Powell, officials
peratures and less pre- Associated Press launched a campaign this
cipitation leave a smaller month to highlight that low-
amount flowing through "Spring runoff will resolve er. For the cities, rural electric er levels aren't necessarily
the over-tapped Colo- the deficit in the short term," If Lake Powell drops even cooperatives and tribes bad for visitors, noting re-
rado River. Though water said Wayne Pullan, regional more, it could soon hit that rely on its hydropower, ceding shorelines have re-
scarcity is hardly new in director for the U.S. Bureau "deadpool" — the point at less water flowing through vealed sunken boats, can-
the region, hydropower of Reclamation, which which water likely would Glen Canyon Dam can yons and other geographic
concerns at Glen Canyon manages water and pow- fail to flow through the dam therefore increase total en- wonders.
Dam in Arizona reflect that er in more than a dozen and onto Lake Mead. Ari- ergy costs. Customers bear "There's tremendous
a future western states as- states. "However, our work zona, Nevada, California, the brunt. amounts of history out
sumed was years away is is not done." and Mexico already are The situation worries the there," City Councilman
approaching — and fast. Though both Lake Powell taking a combination of Navajo Tribal Utility Author- Richard Leightner said.
"We clearly weren't suf- and its downstream coun- mandatory and voluntary ity, one of the 50 tribal sup- "You can see some of the
ficiently prepared for the terpart, Lake Mead, are cuts tied to Lake Mead's pliers that rely on the dam old dwellings, and parts of
need to move this quickly," dropping faster than ex- levels. for hydropower. It plans to the Old Spanish Trail are ac-
said John Fleck, director of pected, much of the re- About 5 million customers spend $4.5 million on an al- cessible now. It's an oppor-
the University of New Mex- gion's focus has been on in seven states — Arizona, ternative energy supply this tunity, but it just depends
ico's Water Resources Pro- how to deal with water Colorado, Nebraska, Ne- year. on the person's frame of
gram. scarcity in Arizona, Nevada vada, New Mexico, Utah "It's a very sensitive issue mind."
Federal officials are confi- and California, not electric- and Wyoming — buy pow- for all of us right now," said The record low also comes
dent water levels will rise in ity supply. er generated at Glen Can- Walter Haase, the tribal util- after a tough year for hy-
the coming months once For Glen Canyon Dam, yon Dam. ity's general manager. dropower. Last year, as U.S.
snow melts in the Rockies. the new level is 35 feet (11 The government provides Bureau of Reclamation of- officials worked to expand
But they warn that more meters) above what's con- it at a cheaper rate than ficials last summer took an renewable energy, drought
may need to be done to sidered "minimum power energy sold on the whole- unprecedented step and in the West drove a decline
ensure Glen Canyon Dam pool" — the level at which sale market, which can be diverted water from res- in hydropower generation,
can keep producing hydro- its turbines would stop pro- wind, solar, coal or natural ervoirs in Wyoming, New making it harder for offi-
power in the years ahead. ducing hydroelectric pow- gas. Mexico, Utah and Colo- cials to meet demand.q

400 bulletproof vests donated to Ukraine stolen in NYC

NEW YORK (AP) — About Ukrainian National Wom- Police departments in the it donated. Andrij Dobriansky, a
400 bulletproof vests des- en's League of America on New York City area have The sheriff's office stops spokesperson for the Ukrai-
tined for Ukraine were sto- Second Avenue in Man- donated hundreds of de- using the vests after five nian Congress Committee
len from a New York City hattan. commissioned bulletproof years, but officials said of America, said last week
non-profit organization Police responded around vests to charities support- they remain sturdy enough that the plan was for do-
that's been leading an 9:15 a.m. to a call of a bur- ing Ukrainian forces fight- to offer protection in war- nated gear to be shipped
effort to collect and ship glary and "were informed ing Russia's invasion. fare. by air to Poland and then
tactical gear to people in that approximately 400 The Suffolk County Sheriff's "It is despicable that some- transported into Ukraine.
the warzone, police said bullet proof vests that Office on Long Island said one would break into a The items were most likely
Wednesday. were removed from the it worked with the Ukrai- building to steal supplies to be used by civilian secu-
Police say the used vests, location," NYPD Sergeant nian Congress Committee and materials intended to rity and medical teams, in-
donated by local law en- Edward Riley said. of America to donate 450 aid those affected by this cluding citizens who have
forcement, were taken A message seeking com- used, decommissioned humanitarian crisis," said joined the fight against the
from the offices of the ment was left with the vests, but could not con- Vicki DiStefano, a spokes- Russian military, not Ukrai-
Ukrainian Congress Com- Ukrainian Congress Com- firm that the vests that person for Suffolk County nian soldiers themselves,
mittee of America and the mittee of America. were stolen were the ones Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. officials said.q