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By Joe Edwards
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Lake Powell has reached its lowest summer elevation on record, according to newly released data, highlighting escalating risks to water supplies and hydropower across the Colorado River system.
Why It Matters
Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., sits along the drought-stricken Colorado River along with Lake Mead—the nation’s largest reservoir. The river supplies water to some 40 million people across the West as well as providing irrigation for more than 5 million acres of farmland.
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The latest data comes in after water management officials warned that recent projections had Lake Powell hitting minimum power pool—the point where hydropower generation at Glen Canyon Dam is jeopardized—as soon as next year.
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What To Know
The reservoir was at an elevation of 3,526.89 feet on Wednesday—representing the lowest summer level since it was first being filled in the 1960s, according to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) data and USA Today.
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As of June 23, USBR data showed Lake Powell was just 23 percent full, with water levels 35 percent of average storage for the date.
The agency said in a social media post this month that a recent analysis projected Lake Powell dropping to minimum power pool in spring 2027, although it noted that the forecast was based on operational assumptions using soon-expiring operating guidelines.
“This outcome is not a reflection of recent drought response actions, but rather a clear reminder that the Colorado River remains vulnerable and that updated operational tools are essential for long-term stability,” it said.
A USBR spokesperson told Newsweek: "Recent projections highlight the ongoing vulnerability of the Colorado River system and emphasize the urgent need to develop new guidelines and establish updated procedures."
USBR announced in April it would be taking measures to shore up Lake Powell, moving water from the upstream Flaming Gorge reservoir and reducing releases to Lake Mead amid deepening drought on the Colorado River.
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Satellite Images Reveal Extent of Lake Powell’s Decline
Satellite time-lapse footage shared by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in May highlighted more than a decade of falling water levels at the reservoir.
The footage showed the lake’s shorelines gradually receding, using imagery captured by NOAA’s JPSS satellites between 2012 and 2026.
“This year’s spring and summer runoff into the lake is projected to be the lowest ever recorded, according to NOAA’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center,” NOAA said.
Negotiations Continue as Guidelines Set to Expire
The Colorado River serves seven basin states—Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico in the Upper Basin; Arizona, California and Nevada in the Lower Basin—as well as Mexico. They have been working to negotiate new water-sharing agreements to replace those that will expire this year.
Representatives from the Upper Basin gathered this week in Denver, where officials warned that the basin is facing one of its worst water years on record. Colorado’s commissioner, Rebecca Mitchell, opened with a blunt assessment, calling conditions “dire” and saying the impacts are being felt “in every corner” of the Upper Basin, from shrinking supplies to mounting pressure on agriculture and rural communities, as reported by KUSA-TV in Denver.
Beyond supply concerns, New Mexico Commissioner Tanya Trujillo said the strain is also fracturing cooperation among the seven basin states, describing “a crisis in the relationships and in the collegiality” that has historically shaped negotiations, the outlet said. Much of the disagreement centers on how to divide additional water cuts ahead of an October deadline for new operating rules.
As reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah’s water commissioner, Gene Shawcroft, warned that the town of Emery could run out of water as early as this week. Meanwhile, in Washington County, Apple Valley has already seen a main well run dry and is now under emergency conditions as its drinking water supply dwindles, it added.
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