Officials will not release cool water from a Colorado River reservoir to protect threatened fish
Summary
Officials decided not to release cool water from Lake Powell, a Colorado River reservoir, to protect a threatened fish called the humpback chub. This decision aims to avoid harming hydropower electricity production, which is already under strain due to low water levels and drought.Key Facts
- The Bureau of Reclamation will not release cold water from Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona in 2024.
- Releasing cold water would reduce electricity from hydropower turbines, as those turbines are not in the cold, deep sections of the reservoir.
- Lake Powell is only about 23% full because of years of water overuse and evaporation caused by rising temperatures.
- Warm water released downstream helps smallmouth bass, an invasive fish, to survive and spawn, threatening native fish like the humpback chub.
- The humpback chub is a threatened species living downstream from the dam.
- Past cool water releases in 2024 and 2025 helped stop smallmouth bass from spawning.
- Temperatures below the dam have regularly been above 60°F (15.5°C), a point when cool water releases are usually considered.
- Officials plan to continue other efforts like removing invasive fish and improving river habitats to protect native species.
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