OK, I was bored, so I pulled some numbers from the water data page. I wanted to see what the biggest years for Lake Powell were.
So, I looked at lake levels on April 15th and July 15th for each year since 1968, to give the approximate filling of the lake in feet. I also looked at the increase in water storage in millions of acre feet between 4/15 and 7/15 of each year. Now, this is NOT the total runoff that a hydrologist would look at, since, in some years they let more water out to Lake Mead as it's filling (as in 83 and 84, when they used the bypass). I rounded numbers, so this isn't exact. But here were the best years for Lake Powell.
But if you are a Lake Powell boater, all that matters is how much did the lake rise, and how much more water was stored.
Year.............. Rise in Feet...... July 15 elevation ........ Increase in Millions of Acre Feet stored
2014..................35 .................... 3614 .......................... 3.2
2011...................49....................3658.......................... 5.5 big rise and storage increase
2008..................42....................3634...........................4.32
2005...................52...................3608..........................4.51 biggest rise 4/15 to 7/15
1997....................32...................3695...........................4.59
1995....................44...................3689...........................5.99 high water
1993....................49...................3668...........................5.9 big year
1984....................19....................3702.......................... 4.4 Big releases to Lake Mead!!
1983.....................24...................3708..........................3.7 huge releases to Lake Mead!!
1980.....................25...................3699..........................3.73
1979.....................45....................3684..........................6.0 biggest storage increase
1973.....................48................... 3640....filling up.......5.1
So, in 2017, we are well ahead of snowpack for 2011. But 2011 had a very cool, wet spring which delayed and added to runoff substantially. But 2017 has the potential to be ALL TIME in terms of overall runoff. Since we are starting below 3600, a 50 foot or more increase by July is absolutely possible. But unfortunately, most of that will be let out to Mead by next spring.
It will take a few more good years to get us back to high water levels.