Colorado River water releases aim to help Lake Powell electricity

Desert canyons in eastern Utah will be churning this spring with huge volumes of water in a desperate attempt to keep a reservoir on the Colorado River generating electricity.

Federal officials plan to release enough water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming and Utah to lower its level by as much as 27 feet over the next year.

The goal is to bring up the level of Lake Powell on the Arizona-Utah line.

A decades-long drought has Lake Powell at just 23% capacity and approaching the point where water won't be able to flow into its turbines without air causing damage.