Everything in Northern Arizona looks small compared to the land itself. Dozens of houseboats are stored at the Wahweap Marina but they are only a small smudge on the vast landscape surrounding Lake Powell. What is not obvious in this photo is the record low level of Lake Powell. Here is a quote from a NASA article entitled, "Lake Powell Reaches New Low."
Straddling the border of southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona, Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir by capacity in the United States. In July 2021, water levels on the lake fell to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping. As of September 20, 2021, the water elevation at Glen Canyon Dam was 3,546.93 feet, more than 153 feet below “full pool” (elevation 3,700 feet). The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. To compensate, federal managers started releasing water from upstream reservoirs to help keep Lake Powell from dropping below a threshold that threatens hydropower equipment at the dam.
I might remind anyone who wants to know: we live in a desert.
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