Lake Powell Is Now 30 Feet From Losing Its Power-Generating Capacity

The water levels in the nation's second-largest reservoir dropped to record levels on Saturday, prompting climatologists to raise the red flag about the impacts of the ongoing drought. Here is what you need to know about the deepening water crisis in the West.

Worsening Drought Sends Water Levels to Record Lows

History was made on Saturday when water levels at Lake Powell slid down to 3,519.91 feet, breaking the previous record low of 3,519.92 feet from April of 2023. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said on Sunday that the reservoir is now less than 30 feet away from when the dam will be incapable of producing hydropower.

The new historic low for Lake Powell was hit just nine days after nearby Lake Mead also fell to its lowest level since being filled about 90 years ago. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the U.S., with both bodies of water holding about 60% of the total water stored in the Colorado River basin. The decline of both reservoirs is presenting big concerns for the part of the country that relies on these water sources.

The Colorado River starts high in the Rocky Mountains and flows down into the Gulf of California in Mexico. The river is fueled by the annual melting snowpack, providing water to approximately 40 million people across California, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The water that originates from this river also irrigates over 5 million acres of farmland, making it vitally important to agricultural interests in the region.