Colorado River Report Warns of Imminent System Crash, Presses Cuts and Glen Canyon Dam Overhaul

Overview

• Environmental nonprofits released a nine-point blueprint urging major demand reductions, a pause on new dams and diversions, state-by-state curtailment plans, and better flow accounting and data.
• The plan calls for re-engineering Glen Canyon Dam with new internal pipes to preserve downstream releases and hydropower if Lake Powell falls below existing intake elevations.
• Negotiations over post-2026 rules remain stalled and largely closed to the public, with Upper and Lower Basin states at odds over how to share mandatory cuts.
• Reservoirs remain historically low, with Lake Powell about 29% full and Lake Mead roughly 32%, and peer-reviewed research warns both could face dead-pool risk if policies do not change.
• Advocates warn shortages could escalate within two years, as federal officials urge a consensus and states face near-term milestones for a preliminary agreement or potential federal intervention.