Officials weigh emergency actions in drought-stricken West

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - In order to prevent the shutdown of a huge dam that supplies hydropower to some 5 million customers across the U.S. West, reduction of water deliveries to users on the Colorado River may be necessary.

Federal officials had hoped snowmelt would assist Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah border to ensure its dam could continue to supply power, but snow is already melting, and hotter-than-normal temperatures and prolonged drought are further shrinking the lake.

The Interior Department has proposed holding back water in the lake to maintain Glen Canyon Dam’s ability to generate electricity in what is said to be the driest conditions in the region in more than 1,200 years.

In the Colorado River basin, Glen Canyon Dam is the mammoth of power production, delivering electricity to about 5 million customers in seven states, including Arizona.

As Lake Powell falls, the dam becomes less efficient and can’t produce power.

The Interior Department has set an April 22 deadline for feedback from water managers in those states.