There has been some discussion of draining Lake Powell to help alleviate the water drought in California. How likely, if at all, is this scenario?
Not likely at all. There are no plans for any such measure that involves draining the Lake. In fact, a bill passed by Congress in November and awaiting President Bush’s signature prohibits any federal attempt to pull the plug of the reservoir on the Utah-Arizona line. The rider inserted in the 2004 spending appropriation for the Department of Interior prohibits the agency from using any federal funds to “study or implement any plan to drain Lake Powell or to reduce the water level of the lake below the range of water levels required for operation of the Glen Canyon Dam.
