The Department of Interior responded to a letter from the seven Colorado River Basin States on May 3, 2022. Their letter states that they had reviewed the concerns and potential actions described in earlier correspondence and concluded that “prudent operation of Glen Canyon Dam for 2022 requires a downward adjustment to the water release volume originally planned for this water year to delay or avoid lake Powell declining further to critical elevations.”
Their letter further outlines DOI’s approach to implementation of the reduction in release volume in an “operationally neutral” way that, combined with a 2022 DROA Plan release, will serve to protect critical infrastructure and elevations at Lake Powell, consistent with the provisions of the 2007 Interim Guidelines.
Read the full letter addressed to Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke here. Identical letters were sent to the seven Colorado River Basin States’ Governors Representatives and Tribal Leaders.