Floods bring rare relief to US Southwest reservoirs as Lake Powell rises 20 feet

Recent flooding across the U.S. Southwest is providing rare relief to thirsty reservoirs that had fallen to record lows amid a yearslong megadrought.

Storms in late October and early November sent torrents of water through normally small or dry creeks that overflowed their banks and flooded local communities.

Hundreds of people were told to evacuate, and the flooding cut off access to some areas. Yet most of that water will end up feeding depleted lakes and underground aquifers, said Martin Hoerling, a climate scientist and hydrologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

“That’s somewhat of an unexpected boost from Mother Nature,” Dr. Hoerling said.

Last winter’s lackluster snowfall did little to recharge water bodies when it melted in the spring and summer, when they typically get their biggest bump of the year.

Then came the chaotic climate phenomenon, El Niño, that has intensified heavy rain and floods. Experts say its impacts will last several more months, potentially further boosting water supplies across the West where water primarily is stored in lakes, aquifers, and snowpack.