Lake Powell reaches record low water level, endangering water supply and power generation

Lake Powell, the United States' second-largest reservoir, recorded a water elevation of 3,519.91 feet above sea level on Saturday, marginally below the previous record set in April 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The level is more than 20 feet lower than at the start of the year and brings the lake within about 30 feet of the point where its turbines would cease generating electricity.

The decline follows a similar record low at Lake Mead a week earlier, highlighting a broader drought in the Colorado River system that serves wildlife, hydropower facilities and roughly 40 million people across seven western states. Persistent over-allocation, a dry winter and rising temperatures have contributed to the shrinking reservoirs.

Federal officials warned in April that a "major intervention" would be required to prevent the turbines from shutting down by year-end. In July, the Bureau of Reclamation proposed a ten-year water-management plan that could impose significant cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada.

The low storage levels are the lowest recorded in nearly seven decades; the last comparable combined storage occurred in May 1957 during construction of Glen Canyon Dam. The water shortage has also affected Lake Powell's tourism sector, forcing marinas to relocate, close boat ramps and add new facilities in deeper water.