Lake Powell Drops to Lowest Level Ever Recorded
Federal officials are preparing cuts as the reservoir nears a level that could reduce hydropower output for nearly 500,000 households.
- On Saturday, Lake Powell dropped to 3519.91 ft, breaking the previous record low of 3,519.92 ft set in April 2023. The Utah-Arizona reservoir provides water and electricity to millions across the West.
- Climate change-fueled drought and heavy water use have caused the Colorado River to shrink by roughly 20% since 2000. Last winter was one of the driest and warmest on record for the western United States, exacerbating the crisis.
- The Glen Canyon Dam produces electricity for nearly 500,000 households annually, but the reservoir is barreling toward the 3,490-foot "minimum power pool." Further drops below 3,370 feet could reach "deadpool," preventing downstream water flow.
- Seven states sharing the Colorado River now await federal action on required water cuts through 2028. Cities like Phoenix and Tucson "are extremely aware that they are first in line for cuts," said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University.
- Brad Udall, a senior water and climate research scientist at Colorado State University, warned this "scary threshold" requires "extraordinary measures" to prevent catastrophic outcomes. Solutions must happen rapidly, as the crisis has been developing for 20 years.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity sup
The water level at Lake Powell, the United States’ second-largest reservoir, has fallen to a record low, heightening concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system. The alarming milestone at Lake Powell, reached Saturday, comes about a week after the river’s other major reservoir, Lake Mead, also hit a historic low . Plummeting water levels pose a major threat to the Colorado River Basin, which is a key resource for wildlife, hyd…
By Laura Paddison, CNN. Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the United States, supplies water and electricity to millions of people in the western part of the country. Now, its level has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded, the latest sign of the alarming crisis facing the drought-stricken Colorado River. The post “Uncharted Territory”: The Second-Largest Reservoir in the U.S. Falls to a Record Low appeared first on KVIA.
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