Emergency Water Release Ordered as Colorado River Crisis Reaches a Breaking Point

Emergency water release ordered as Colorado River crisis reaches a breaking point

Federal officials ordered a massive emergency release of water from a major Upper Basin reservoir as the Colorado River system reels from one of the worst snowpack years on record, deepening tensions among Western states already locked in unresolved negotiations over the river’s future. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced it will release up to one million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Utah and Wyoming to stabilize Lake …

Trump administration takes emergency step to prop up key Colorado River reservoir

As the Colorado River shrinks in an extremely dry year, the Trump administration is moving water from one reservoir to another, and will cut the amount that's released downstream to California, Arizona and Nevada.

Feds order Flaming Gorge drop to save imperiled Lake Powell from potential structural failure

Federal officials formally announced Friday they will draw an extra 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Wyoming-Utah border over the next 12 months to prevent downstream Lake Powell from dropping below “minimum power pool” the point at which it could no longer produce power.  The desperate move is in response to projections that show Lake Powell, “without major intervention,” could drop below 3,490 feet in…

Feds order massive water release from Flaming Gorge to prop up Lake Powell

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has ordered a release of up to one million acre feet of water from Flaming Gorge to help prop up Lake Powell and keep the Colorado River system afloat.

As Colorado River crisis deepens, water could be released from Flaming Gorge to prop up Lake Powell

The so-called “bathtub ring,” a deposit of pale minerals left behind where reservoir water levels once reached, is shown on the edge of Lake Powell near Page, Arizona on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)DUTCH JOHN, Utah — It’s opening day at Cedar Springs Marina. The family-owned recreation hotspot is preparing to welcome visitors for another season of fun at Flaming Gorge. “Hundreds of thousands come through,…

Reclamation Acts to Protect #ColoradoRiver System During Historic #Drought: The prolonged drought combined with the lowest winter #snowpack on record is requiring swift actions to protect this vital water system #COriver #aridification

The Colorado River flows through seven states and provides water to 40 million people. Photo credit: USBR Click the link to read the release on the Bureau of Reclamation website: April 17, 2026 Long-term drought has reduced Colorado River system storage to about 36 percent of capacity, and the combination of the lowest snowpack on record and record-breaking March heat has further intensified drought conditions across the Basin. These compoundin…