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The historic lows come as the federal government and states that
rely on the river — California, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico,
Utah, Wyoming and Colorado — struggle to reach agreement on a
long-term management plan for the dwindling resource. Persistent
overuse combined with a record-dry winter and rising
temperatures have been depleting both Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
Lake Powell’s elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet (1072.9 meters)
above sea level on Saturday, dropping just slightly below a
previous record set in April 2023, according to data from the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The lake is more than 20 feet (6.10
meters) lower than it was at the start of the year, USBR data
shows.
The reservoir is now about 30 feet (9.1 meters) away from the
point at which turbines would stop producing hydroelectric
power. Federal officials warned in April that a “major
intervention” would be necessary to avoid reaching that
threshold by the end of this year.
USBR in July proposed a 10-year plan that includes major
potential water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada.
The crisis has been in the making for years. Both reservoirs are
at the lowest they have been in nearly seven decades, and levels
may continue to drop, USBR data shows.
The last time their combined storage was this small was in May
1957 when Glen Canyon Dam that holds back Powell was being
built, according to a recent paper published by a group of
academics and retired water officials. Powell began to fill in
1963.
The depletion has also impacted Lake Powell’s substantial
tourism industry, forcing marinas in the reservoir to adapt.
Boat ramps have closed or moved, new ones are being added and
marinas have been temporarily relocated to deeper waters.
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