Lake Powell has reached a new record low, marking a critical juncture in the ongoing crisis affecting the Colorado River system. The water level at the United States’ second-largest reservoir fell to its lowest point on Saturday, approximately a week after Lake Mead, the river's other major reservoir, also hit a historic low.
These plummeting water levels pose a significant threat to the Colorado River Basin, a vital resource for wildlife, hydroelectric power generation, and more than 40 million people across seven U.S. states: California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. The federal government and these states are currently engaged in discussions to establish a long-term management plan for the diminishing water supply.
The situation is attributed to persistent overuse of the river, compounded by a record-dry winter and rising temperatures, which have collectively depleted both Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Lake Powell's elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet (1072.9 meters) above sea level on Saturday, slightly below the previous record set in April 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). The lake is more than 20 feet lower than it was at the beginning of the year.
The reservoir is now approximately 30 feet away from the critical threshold at which its turbines would cease producing hydroelectric power. Federal officials issued warnings in April that a "major intervention" would be necessary to prevent reaching this point by the end of the current year. In July, the USBR proposed a 10-year plan that includes significant potential water cutbacks for Arizona, California, and Nevada.
This crisis has been developing for years. Both Lake Powell and Lake Mead are at their lowest levels in nearly seven decades, with data suggesting levels may continue to decline. The combined storage in these reservoirs was last this low in May 1957, a period when the Glen Canyon Dam, which impounds Lake Powell, was under construction. Lake Powell began to fill in 1963.
The depletion of water levels has also impacted Lake Powell's significant tourism industry, necessitating adaptations from marinas. Boat ramps have been closed or relocated, new ones are being added, and some marinas have been moved to deeper sections of the reservoir.