Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River, which runs along the border between Utah and Arizona, USA. Most of Powell Lake, along with Rainbow Bridge National Monument, is located in Utah. It is a major vacation spot that is visited by about two million people every year. It is the second largest manmade reservoir with the maximum water capacity in the United States behind Lake Mead, storing 24,322,069 feet (3.0000830 ÃÆ' - 10 10 m 3 ) water when full. However, due to the high water withdrawal for human and agricultural consumption, and due to the subsequent drought in the area, Lake Powell is currently larger than Lake Mead in terms of the volume of water currently held, the depth and surface area.
Lake Powell was created by the flood of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer destination. This reservoir is named for the explorer John Wesley Powell, a one-handed American Civil War veteran who explored the river through three wooden boats in 1869. In 1972, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was established. It is a public land run by the National Park Service, and is publicly available for recreational purposes. It is located in parts of Garfield, Kane, and San Juan County in southern Utah, and Coconino County in northern Arizona. The northern boundary of the lake extends at least as far as the Hite Crossing Bridge. Map centered at the Escalante River encounter 37 Â ° 17? 22? N 110 Â ° 52? 20? W with the Colorado River provides a good view of the vastness of the lake.
Lake Powell is a water storage facility for the state of Upper Basin in the Colorado River Compact (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico). The Compact determined that the Upper Basin states to provide a minimum annual flow of 7,500,000 acres feet to the Lower Basin states (Arizona, Nevada, and California).
Video Lake Powell
History
In the 1940s and early 1950s, the United States Reclamation Bureau planned to build a series of Colorado River dams in the Colorado provinces of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. Glen Canyon Dam was born from a controversial hideout selected by the Bureau at Echo Park, in what is now the Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado. The small but politically effective opposing group led by David Brower of the Sierra Club managed to defeat the Bureau's offer, citing the natural and beautiful qualities of Echo Park as too valuable to drown. By agreeing to a relocated shelter near Ferry Lee between Glen and the Grand Canyon, however, Brower is unaware of what he has bet. At the time, Brower had never actually been to Glen Canyon. When he later saw Glen Canyon on a river trip, Brower discovered that it has the kind of quality scenery, culture, and wilderness that is often associated with American national parks. Over 80 side canyons in the colorful Navajo Sandstone contains clear flow, abundant wildlife, arches, natural bridges, and many authentic American archaeological sites. However, by then, it was too late to stop the Bureau and its commissioner Floyd Dominy build the Glen Canyon Dam. Brower believes the river should remain free, and will forever after considering the disappearance of Glen Canyon, the disappointment of his life.
The construction of Glen Canyon Dam started with a one-button disassembly blast by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at his desk at the Oval Office on October 1, 1956. The first blast began to clear the tunnel for water diversion. On February 11, 1959, water flowed through the tunnel so that the construction of the dam could begin. Later that year, the bridge was completed, allowing trucks to ship equipment and materials for the dam, as well as to the new city of Page, Arizona.
The placement of concrete began around 17 June 1960. The last bucket of concrete was poured on September 13, 1963. More than 5 million cubic meters (4,000,000 mÃ,³) of concrete formed the Glen Canyon Dam. The Dam is 710 feet (216 m) tall, with water level elevation in full ponds being around 3700 feet (1100 m). Dam construction cost $ 155 million, and 18 lives lost in the process. From 1970 to 1980, turbines and generators were installed for hydroelectric power. On September 22, 1966, Glen Canyon Dam was dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson.
After completing the Glen Canyon Dam on September 13, 1963, the Colorado River began to retreat, no longer diverted through the tunnel. The newly flooded Glen Canyon forms Lake Powell. It took 11 years for the lake to fill up to 3,700 feet (1,100 m), on June 22, 1980. The lake level fluctuated greatly depending on the seasonal snowflake from the Rocky Mountains. The highest water heights of all time were reached on July 14, 1983, during one of the heaviest Colorado River floods in recorded history, partly influenced by the strong El Nià ± o events. The lake rose to 3,708.34 feet (1.130.30 m) above sea level, with moisture content of 25,757,086 acre feet (31.770898 km 3 ).
The Colorado River flow has been below average since 2000, leading to lower lake levels. In the winter of 2005 (before spring runoff), the lake reached its lowest level since filling, altitude 3,555.10 feet (1,083,59 m) above sea level, which is approximately 150 feet (46 m) below full ponds. Since 2005, the lake level has slowly recovered, although it has not been fully occupied since then. The summer of 2011 saw the third-largest June and July's second largest runoff since the Glen Canyon Dam closure, and water levels peaked at nearly 3,661 feet (1196 m), 77 percent capacity, on July 30. However, 2012 and 2013 are, respectively, the third and fourth lowest runoffs recorded on the Colorado River. On April 9, 2014, the lake level has dropped to 3,574.31 feet (1,089.45 m), largely erasing the profits made in 2011.
The Colorado River level returns to normal during the 2014 and 2015 water years (driving the lake to 3,606 feet (1,099 m) by the end of the 2015 water year), a trend projected to continue in 2016. However, the Bureau of Reclamation in 2014 is reduced to the rank of Lake Powell from 8.23 - up to 7.48 million acre feet, for the first time since the lake was filled in 1980. This is done because of the "equalization" guideline which stipulates that an approximately equal amount of water should be preserved in both Lake Powell. and Lake Mead, to maintain the capacity of hydroelectric power in both lakes. This resulted in Lake Mead declining to the lowest level in record since the 1930s.
Maps Lake Powell
Climate
This data is for the Wahweap climate station in Lake Powell just south of the Utah-Arizona border.
Geology
Glen Canyon is carved by the differential erosion of the Colorado River for about 5 million years. The Colorado Plateau, through which the canyon cuts, appeared about 11 million years ago. Within the plains lay rock layers from over 300 million years ago to relatively recent volcanic activity. The Pennsylvanian and Permian formations can be seen in Cataract Canyon and San Juan Canyon. The Moenkopi Formation, dating from 230 million years ago (Triassic Period), and the Chinle Formation are found in Lees Ferry and Rincon. Both formations are the result of the ancient land sea covering the area. After the sea is drained, the windblown sand invades the area, creating what is known as Wingate Sandstone.
The newer formations (Jurassic period) include Kayenta Sandstone, which produces a trademark blue-black "trademarked" trademark varnish that sped into many canyon walls. Above these are the Navajo Sandstones. Many arches, including Rainbow Bridge, are located at this transition point. This period also includes yellow Entrada yellow rocks, and a dark brown, almost purple Karmel Formation. The latter two can be seen at the mesa peak around Wahweap, and the crown of Castle Rock and Tower Butte. Above this layer lies sandstone, conglomerate and shale of the Cliff Formation that underlies Plateau Kaiparowits and San Rafael Swell in the north of the lake.
The Escalante River encounter, Dirty Devil, and San Juan with Colorado are located inside Lake Powell. The slower stream of the San Juan River has resulted in a gooseneck in which a 5 mile (8.0 km) river is contained within 1 mile (1.6 km) on a straight line.
Landmarks
- Glen Canyon Dam, the dam that makes Lake Powell the way it is today. (location: part of Arizona Lake Powell)
- Rainbow Bridge, one of the largest natural bridges in the world. (Location: Utah part of Lake Powell)
- Hite Crossing Bridge, the only bridge that includes Lake Powell. Although the bridge informally marks the upper boundary of the lake, when the lake is in high normal water elevation, water can span up to 30 miles (48 km) upstream to Cataract Canyon
Popular culture
Lake Powell has been the filming location for 45 television and movie series, including:
- Gravity (2013)
- John Carter (2012)
- Who's Doctor : Impossible Astronaut and River Song Wedding (2011)
- Walking with Monsters (2005), BBC prequel to Walking with Dinosaurs as mainland Silurian supporters
- Evolution (2001)
- Planet of the Apes (versions 1968 and 2001)
- Maverick (1994)
- Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
Features
The main body of the lake extends to the top of Glen Canyon, but also has filled many (over 90) valley side. The lake also runs on the Escalante River and the San Juan River where they join the main Colorado River. It provides access to many interesting geographical points as well as some of the remaining Anasazi culture.
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument
- Defiance House (Anasazi)
- Cathedral in the Desert
- San Juan gooseneck
- Kaiparowits Plateau
- The hole-in-the-rock crossing
- Rincon
- Three Roof Ruins
- Padre Bay
- Rocket Fold
- The island of Antelope is largely located in Arizona to the north of Page in the southwestern part of Lake Powell.
Development
Access to lakes is limited to marinas that are developed because most of the lake is surrounded by steep sandstone walls:
- Ferry Lee
- Page and Wahweap Marina
- Antelope Point Marina
- Halls Crossing, Utah Marina
- Bullfrog Marina
- Hite Marina
The following Marina is only accessible by boat:
- Hang a Marina Rope
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument
- Escalante Sub-district
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area attracts over two million visitors annually. Recreational activities include boating, fishing, water skiing, jet-skiing, and hiking. Prepared camps can be found in every marina, but many visitors choose to rent a houseboat or bring their own camping gear, find a remote spot somewhere in the canyon, and create their own camp (no restrictions on where visitors can stay).
Castle Rock Cut is one of the most important navigational channels on the lake; it was detonated as early as the 1970s to allow sailors to pass a winding canyon between Glen Canyon Dam and reach Powell Lake further upstream - saving, on average, an hour's travel time. This cut has been deepened several times since then, to allow the use of channels during the dry season. During a prolonged 21st century drought, however, lakes have dropped so fast on several occasions that the cut dries up during the summer tourist season, the last in 2013. Continued deepening of the cuts Castle Rock has criticized for its high cost, but sailors and National Park Service believes that it improves safety, saves millions of dollars in fuel, and improves emergency response times.
Currently most of the lakes on the lake do not have an Automatic Identification System monitoring station that sends ship positions to the AIS website for the boat community. A large number of ships on the lake do not have AIS transponders because there is currently no mandatory requirement for the use of SIAs for these water bodies. Extra caution must be taken with regard to boating safety, since the fractal nature of the lake's hydrological surface area may allow ships with limited charting equipment to be easily lost.
Burying human waste (and pets) in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is prohibited. Anyone camping farther than a quarter of a mile from the marina, however, should carry a portable toilet. The litter should also be packed.
The southwest end of Lake Powell in Arizona is accessible via Route 89 of the US and State Route 98. State Route 95 and State Route 276 leads to the northeast end of the lake in Utah.
Fish species
Some of these fish species are on the US Endangered Species List. Today most of the native species in the Colorado River Valley are subject to ongoing recovery efforts of some kind.
Invasive Species
Zebra and quagga shells first appeared in the United States in the 1980s.
Mussels were originally brought to the United States via water vessels entering the Great Lakes. This aquatic invader soon spread to many waters in the eastern United States and even to the western United States. In January 2008, Zebra mussels have been detected in several reservoirs along the Colorado River system such as Lake Mead, Mojave, and Havasu.
In the early 2000s Arizona, California, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Nevada and Utah all confirmed the presence of zebra mussels larvae in lakes and reservoirs.
Zebra and quagga shells can damage the ecosystem because of competition for resources with native species. Zooplankton screening by shellfish can have a negative impact on feeding for several species of fish. Zebra and quagga mussels can stick to hard surfaces and build layers on underwater structures. These shells are known to clog pipes including those in hydroelectric power systems, making it an expensive and time-consuming problem for water managers in the West.
Recent control policies were introduced to alleviate the hydroelectric problems as well as the ecological problems faced by Western attacks. In early 1999 Lake Powell began to monitor shells visually.
In 2001 the hot water decontamination site was established in Wahweap, Bullfrog, and Halls Crossing marinas. In January 2007, shell zebra was detected in Lake Mead and a new action plan was announced to prevent the spread of shells to Lake Powell. In August 2007, the initial test was positive for zebra or quagga larvae at Lake Powell. This test is considered a false positive, but quagga adult mussels were discovered in 2013.
In August 2010, Lake Powell declared free of shells. Lake Powell introduced a compulsory boat inspection for each vessel entering the reservoir starting June 2009. Effective June 29, 2009, every ship entering Lake Powell must have a shell certificate, even though the ship owner is permitted to certify. These measures are intended to help prevent the ship carrying the Zebra crumb to Lake Powell.
Despite these steps, DNA mussel quagga is detected in 2012 and live shells are found on a number of sites including Wahweap Marina in Spring and Summer 2013. In June 2013 NPS is trying a diversion-based eradication program to find and remove shells before. the lake becomes full.
References
Bibliography
- Martin, Russell,
Henry Holt & Co., 1989 - McPhee, John, "Meet the Archdruids," Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1971
- Nichols, Tad, Glen Canyon: Images from a Lost World, Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 2000
- Abbey, Edward, Desert Solitaire, Ballantine Books, 1985
- Glick, Daniel (April 2006). " Dry Red Season: Revealing Glen Canyon's Glory, ". National Geographic . Retrieved 2007-10-21 .
- Farmers, Jared, Glen Canyon Blocks: Finds Lake Powell and Canyon State, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1999
- Stiles, Jim,
Salt Lake Tribune, June 7, 2005
External links
- Glen Canyon National Recreation
- 100th Meridian Initiative
- Zebra Mind Information System
- Quagga and Zebra Mussel FAQs
- Lake Powell Receives Mussel Free Value
- Lake Powell Launches Restrictions to Start June 29, 2009
- "Report on Lake Powell" (PDF) . Ã, (503Ã, KB) by Utah Water Quality Division
- Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
- Glen Canyon Institute - an organization that supports the decommissioning of the Glen Canyon Dam
- Friends from Lake Powell - an organization that opposes the decommissioning of the Glen Canyon Dam
- Water levels at Lake Powell, a slide show of ten years of images from NASA's Landsat 5 satellite, show dramatic fluctuations in water levels in Lake Powell.
- Daily data rate and flow from the US Department of State | Reclamation Bureau | Lower Colorado Region
- Lake Powell database - water heights, snowpack basin, and other statistics
- Arizona Boating Locations Facilities Map
- Arizona Fishing Map Map
- Page/Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce
- Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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