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<br />The Colorado River Basin has now completed 5 consecutive years of severe drought. In the summer <br />of 1999, Lake Pmvell '\vas essentially full with reservoir storage at 97 percent of capacity. Since that <br />time. inflow volumes have been below average for 5 consecutive water years. Total unregulated <br />inflo'\v to Lake Powell in water year 2004 was only 51 percent of average. Unregulated inflow in <br />water years 2000. 2001, 2002, and 2003 was 62,59,25, and 51 percent of average, respectively. <br />Inflow in water year 2002 was the lowest ever observed since the completion of Glen Canyon Dam <br />in 1963. <br /> <br />Hydrologic conditions have improved over the past 7 months in the Colorado River Basin. Since <br />September 2004, precipitation in the basin has been above average. Snowpack in the basin above Lake <br />Powell is currently 117 percent of average (as of April 6, 2005). <br /> <br />Inflow to Lake Powell, as a percentage of average, has increased since last summer in response to <br />the precipitation events last fall and winter. Kovember 2004 was the first month with above average <br />inflow to Lake Powell since September 1999. L"nregulated inflow in January and February was 128 <br />and 118 percent of average. respectively. Unregulated inflow in March was below average, <br />ho'\'\-ever. Unregulated inflow in ylarch 2005 was 593,000 acre-feet, which is 89 percent of average. <br /> <br />As of April 6, 2005, the elevation of Lake Powell is 3,555.4 feet (144.6 feet from full pool). Current <br />storage is 7.98 million acre-feet (33 percent oflive capacity). Lake Powell is now at its low point <br />for the year. The lake level will begin increasing on Saturday, April 9, 2005. Inflow to Lake Powell <br />is currently 8,600 cfs (April 6. 2005) and is increasing. <br /> <br />The National Weather Service (in their April final inflow forecast) is forecasting 8.5 million acre- <br />feet of unregulated inflow to Lake Powell this April through July. This is 107 percent of average. <br />The elevation of Lake Powell is projected to increase from April 9 through mid-July of2005. <br />Current projections (using the April final inflow forecast) show Lake Powell reaching a peak water <br />surface elevation in July 2005 of about 3,600 feet. <br /> <br />It should be noted, however, that there is uncertainty with these projections. Weather conditions this <br />spring will likely result in shifts to inflow projections for 2005. <br />