Floods bring rare relief to US Southwest reservoirs as Lake Powell rises 20 feet

PHOENIX (AP) – Recent flooding throughout the U.S. Southwest is providing rare relief to thirsty reservoirs that had fallen to record lows against the backdrop of a yearslong megadrought.

Key points

• Still, the lake remained just over a quarter full, and 15 of its 17 boat launches remained unusable as of Friday.
• Storms in late October and early November sent torrents of water through normally small or dry creeks that overflowed their banks and flooded local communities.
• Then came the chaotic climate phenomenon, El Niño, that has intensified heavy rain and floods.
• Hundreds of individuals were informed to evacuate, and the flooding cut off access to some areas.
• When they typically obtain their biggest bump of the year, last winter's lackluster snowfall did little to recharge water bodies when it melted in the spring and summer.

Hundreds of individuals were informed to evacuate, and the flooding cut off access to some areas. Yet most of that water will end up feeding depleted lakes and underground aquifers, remarked Martin Hoerling, a climate scientist and hydrologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "That's somewhat of an unexpected boost from Mother Nature, " Hoerling remarked.

Then came the chaotic climate phenomenon, El Niño, that has intensified heavy rain and floods. Experts say its impacts will last a number of more months, potentially further boosting water supplies throughout the West where water primarily is stored in lakes, aquifers and snowpack.

Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., rose more than 20 feet (6.1 meters) from its mid-September low – dwarfing its gains from this year's snowmelt, Hoerling remarked. Still, the lake remained just over a quarter full, and 15 of its 17 boat launches remained unusable as of Friday.

For context, the floodwaters and extra rain could raise the lake along the Arizona-Utah border further, for a total of over 1.2 million acre-feet – enough to backing around 4 million average families for a year, Hoerling estimated.

For now, floods bring rare relief to US Southwest reservoirs as Lake Powell rises remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.