Discharge Temperatures Increasing
at Glen Canyon Dam
Introduction:
As drought conditions lower the surface of Lake Powell, it's warmer surface waters are brought to the release structures of Glen Canyon Dam. During the summers of 2003 & 2004, some of the highest summer discharge temperatures recorded since the lake filled are flowing down the Colorado River down Grand Canyon. Here we provide an explanation of the processes that produce these effects, examine past instances of warm summer releases, and look into the future.
Contents:
- Lake Powell & Grand Canyon Dam
- Lake Powell Stage Inflow & Outflow Hydrograph for Glen Canyon Dam
- Temperature Patterns in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, 1988-2003
- Discharge Temperatures from Glen Canyon Dam, 1963-2003
- Discharge Temperatures & Lake Elevation During Lake Powell's Filling Era
- Temperature Patterns from Pre-Dam to 2003
- 2004 Warming: Annual Temperature Patterns since Filling (1973)
- Annual temperatures at 60-Mile, above the mouth of the Little Colorado River
- Annual temperatures at Diamond Gage on the Colorado River
- Case Studies of Post-Filling Warming Events, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984
- Conditions at Lake Powell in September 2003
For more information, contact:
Susan J. Hueftle
Grand Canyon Monitoring & Research Center
2255 N. Gemini Dr.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001-1600
Office: 928.556.7460
Fax: 928.556.7368
shueftle@usgs.gov