Lake Powell hits record low as Colorado River crisis deepens

Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the United States, has fallen to its lowest level on record, intensifying the crisis on the drought-stricken Colorado River. The reservoir's elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet (1,072.9 meters) on Saturday, breaking the previous record set in April 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Source: AP News. The record comes nine days after downstream Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, also hit a historic low Source: CNN.

What happened

The Colorado River, which supplies water to roughly 40 million people and irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland across seven states, has been shrinking for over two decades due to climate change-fueled drought and heavy water use Source: CNN. Both reservoirs are now at their lowest levels in nearly seven decades, with combined storage last this small in May 1957 Source: AP News. Lake Powell is now just under 30 feet away from the point where its dam can no longer generate hydropower, a threshold that would affect electricity for nearly 500,000 households Source: CNN.

The reaction

The Trump administration released a 10-year plan in July that would impose significant water cuts on Arizona, California, and Nevada, requiring them to reduce consumption by up to 3.7 billion cubic meters per year until 2036 Source: CNA. However, Arizona has strongly objected, warning of a potential lawsuit. In a letter to the federal government, Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said the state "does not accept a framework that gives the federal government the discretion to select from a wide range of alternatives — including catastrophic cuts … every two years for the next decade" Source: LA Times. The plan does not require major efforts from the upper-basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico, a disparity that could lead to legal battles Source: CNA.

What's next

Experts expect the dispute to end up in court, potentially before the U.S. Supreme Court Source: LA Times. Arizona has already set aside millions for potential lawsuits Source: CNA. Meanwhile, the reservoirs continue to decline, and officials warn that a "major intervention" may be needed to avoid reaching the minimum power pool Source: AP News.