Overview
- Lake Powell fell to a record 3,519.91 feet on Saturday, a new low confirmed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that breaks the previous mark from April 2023.
- The reservoir is now within roughly 30 feet of the minimum power pool at about 3,490 feet, a level below which the dam may not be able to generate electricity for nearly 500,000 homes.
- Federal officials who already used emergency transfers and paid conservation are preparing to publish specific multi‑year water reductions through 2028 for the seven basin states.
- Experts say cities have short‑term backups but tribes, small towns and many farms face greater risk because of older water rights and limited money to buy alternatives.
- Lake Powell and Lake Mead together hold far less water than in past decades after roughly a 20% drop in river flows since 2000 from warming, low snowpack and long‑term use, and experts say only several wet years would reverse the decline.