Colorado River at Record Lows: 10-Year Plan
Lake Powell has fallen to a record low just shy of the Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower threshold, signaling a looming crisis for electricity and water in the drought-stricken West, while Lake Mead has reached its own record-low level, imperiling hydroelectric power and water supply for millions. Together, the two reservoirs, which store about 60% of the Colorado River’s water, reflect decades of drought intensifying with climate change and overuse, threatening energy generation and regional livelihoods across seven states.
Environment · 66 sources · Aug 19, 2026Read itThe journal
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About Lake Powell
Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, United States. It is a major vacation destination visited by approximately two million people every year. It holds 24,322,000 acre-feet (3.0001×1010 m3) of water when full, second in the United States to only the downstream reservoir of Lake Mead – though Lake Mead has fallen below Lake Powell in size several times during the 21st century in terms of volume of water, depth, and surface area.
Everything about Lake Powell →- Country
- United States
- Inception
- 1963