Residents of Phoenix, Arizona, recently received incredible news when Salt River Project (SRP) — a local utility provider — announced that the iconic Bartlett Lake would finally see its declining water levels begin to rise, thanks to SRP's efforts to release water from the nearby Horseshoe Dam.
The lake had previously experienced historically low water levels that, if they persisted, would continue to threaten dam storage capacity and limit the water supply of thousands of Arizona residents.
The water would be released at a rate of approximately 4,500 cubic feet per second, or about 7.5 gallons per second, and SRP says it will work with both Tonto National Forest staff and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office to keep the public informed of progress via local and social media.
The goal is to better equalize storage levels between the Bartlett and Horseshoe reservoirs and provide more water to residents who need it in both areas.
Storm drainage from the Verde River had pushed Horseshoe reservoir water levels above Barlett's capacity, prompting this release and continuing to support future releases as drainage continues to run off into the reservoir.
Reservoirs such as this, which maintain high capacity, are now more critical than ever. The fact that lakes in other states, like Texas, are seeing historically high water levels is a sign of just how low they have been for so long.
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This is only exacerbated by the impacts of rising global temperatures driven by dirty fuels and habitat loss from human activity, which can lead to a domino effect limiting water available for irrigation or daily household use.
Reducing your overall daily water use can help to drive down the rising scarcity cost from this domino effect and leave more water available for the public.
Historic droughts and extreme weather will only continue to make maintaining lake capacity a significant challenge for future communities.
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