A whole state could be flooded: 90 billion liters of water will be released from a Utah lake to prevent a disaster.

To prevent flooding of large areas, scientists plan to release nearly 90 billion liters of water from Utah Lake. This action is necessary due to the upcoming seasonal snowmelt, as the lake is already nearly at capacity.

https://focus.ua/technologies/696047-zatopit-celyy-shtat-iz-ozera-yuty-spustyat-90-mlrd-litrov-vody-chtoby-izbezhat-katastfory2025-03-02 07:48:16

Representatives from the Central Utah Water Conservancy District have initiated a controlled release of approximately 87 billion liters of water from Utah Lake into the Great Salt Lake. This process, aimed at regulating water levels, involves a daily discharge of about 1 billion liters through the Jordan River to maintain balance ahead of the anticipated seasonal snowmelt and to prevent potential flooding, reports IFLScience.

While this may seem like an enormous volume of water, it marks the third such controlled release in the past decade. Gene Shawcroft, the executive director of the Central Utah Water Conservancy District, emphasized the importance of proactive measures in water management.

"Our job is to always keep track of where the water is now and where it needs to be. This is a way for us to be proactive regarding spring runoff and do everything possible to ensure a healthy water level in Utah Lake and the Great Salt Lake," the specialist stated.

A significant portion—about 95 percent—of Utah's water supply comes from snowmelt. Currently, in the Wasatch Front region, located in the north-central part of Utah, the snowpack is above average for this time of year.

As of February 28, the lake was nearly 96 percent full. This figure is slightly lower than last year's level at the same time, but with continued snowmelt, the lake is rapidly approaching its "compromise level."

Once this threshold is reached, control gates will open, directing the excess water into the Jordan River. This process mitigates the risk of flooding along the shoreline and reduces potential overflow downstream.

While Utah Lake prepares for an influx of water, conditions for the Great Salt Lake differ. The Jordan River is one of its key water sources; however, its southern arm remains below optimal levels.

Measurements taken on February 28 indicated that the lake level is at 1,278 meters, which is approximately 1.5 meters below its minimum threshold. Even before the full impact of snowmelt, many reservoirs are nearing their maximum capacity, indicating that further adjustments may be necessary.