Lake Powell
Coverage of Lake Powell in the Nexus archive.
- Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions
The water level at Lake Powell, designated the United States' second-largest reservoir, has fallen to a record low. This situation heightens concerns regarding the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system and threatens key water and electricity supplies for millions.
- Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions
The water level at Lake Powell has fallen to a record low, which heightens concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system. Lake Powell is noted as the United States' second-largest reservoir.
- Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions
The water level at Lake Powell has dropped to a record low. This development raises increasing concerns about the ongoing crisis within the Colorado River system, threatening crucial water and electricity supplies for millions.
- Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions
The water level at Lake Powell, the United States' second-largest reservoir, has fallen to a record low. This significant drop heightens concerns about the ongoing crisis within the Colorado River system and threatens key water and electricity supplies for millions.
- Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions
Lake Powell reached a record low water level, raising concerns about the ongoing crisis in the Colorado River system. This decline poses a major threat to the Colorado River Basin, which supplies resources to more than 40 million people across seven U.S. states. The depletion is caused by persistent overuse combined with rising temperatures and a record-dry winter.
- The 10 best lake vacations in the U.S.
The article reviews ten of the best lake vacations in the U.S. It highlights diverse natural destinations, specifically mentioning Crater Lake's volcanic depths, Lake Powell's canyon walls, and Lake Superior's remote wilderness shoreline.
- Officials will not release cool water from a Colorado River reservoir to protect threatened fish
Federal officials announced they will not release cool water this year from reservoirs like Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona, prioritizing concerns over hydropower generation. This decision pits the conservation of threatened fish, such as the humpback chub, against maintaining electrical power output. The issue affects a massive waterway used by seven U.S. states and Mexico, which is shrinking due to overuse and climate change.
- ‘Snow-eater’ heat waves adding to water woes plaguing the West
A study published in Science Advances identifies 'snow-eater' heat waves, which accelerate snowmelt and contribute to flooding and water shortages in the western U.S. These events have increased in frequency and intensity since the mid-1990s, with recent impacts including reduced inflows to Lake Powell and drought conditions in the Intermountain West. The research links these heat waves to high-pressure systems causing unseasonably warm temperatures and rapid snowpack depletion.
- Band-Aid, not a cure: federal Colorado River plan leaves states guessing every two years
The federal Colorado River management plan, described as a temporary fix, fails to resolve disputes among basin states over dwindling water supplies. Key agreements expire this year, and the Bureau of Reclamation's 10-year framework imposes no binding long-term solution, instead planning rolling two-year cuts for lower basin states like California, Arizona, and Nevada.
- Feds threaten deep water cuts for states along shrinking Colorado River
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a final report proposing severe water cuts for California, Nevada, and Arizona due to historically low levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The framework, part of a three-year environmental review, sets operational guidelines through 2036 to address declining water levels caused by climate change and overuse.
- Arizona, California and Nevada would share cuts under federal proposal to manage the Colorado River
Arizona, California, and Nevada would face reduced water allocations from the Colorado River under a federal proposal to address declining reservoir levels. The 10-year plan allows for up to 3 million acre-feet of collective cuts by 2036 and includes biennial management decisions to adapt to hydrological conditions.
- Arizona, California and Nevada would share cuts under federal proposal to manage the Colorado River
The federal government proposed a plan for Colorado River management requiring Arizona, California, and Nevada to reduce water usage, while sparing other states from immediate cuts. The 10-year framework aims to address declining reservoir levels caused by drought and overuse, with potential collective cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet through 2036.
- Arizona, California and Nevada would share cuts under federal proposal to manage the Colorado River
Arizona, California, and Nevada would face water cuts under a federal proposal to manage the Colorado River, while Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming are temporarily spared. The 10-year plan aims to address declining reservoir levels due to drought and overuse, with potential collective cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet by 2036.
- 'Do hard things': Meet the water advocate, ultra runner running the 2000-mile length of the Colorado River
Mina Guli, a water advocate and ultra runner, is running 2,000 miles along the Colorado River over 100 days to raise awareness about its severe drought and ecological crisis. The river, critical to 40 million people and a $1.4 trillion economy, faces historic low water levels in reservoirs like Lake Powell and Lake Mead, with 95% of its basin in drought.
- 'Do hard things': Meet the water advocate, ultra runner running the 2000-mile length of the Colorado River
Mina Guli, an Australian ultra runner and water advocate, is running 2,000 miles along the Colorado River over 100 days to raise awareness about its environmental crisis. The river, which supports 40 million people and $1.4 trillion in economic activity, faces severe drought with 95% of its basin in drought conditions and reservoirs like Lake Powell and Lake Mead at historic lows.
- As Lake Powell shrinks, marinas are having to adapt to dwindling water levels
Lake Powell, the second-largest U.S. reservoir, is shrinking due to drought, climate change, and overuse, forcing marinas to adapt by relocating boat ramps and facilities. The lake is currently 23% full and approaching historic lows, threatening hydropower production and recreation.
- As Lake Powell shrinks, marinas are having to adapt to dwindling water levels
Lake Powell's water levels are declining due to drought, climate change, and overuse, forcing marinas to adapt by relocating boat ramps and facilities. The reservoir is currently 23% full and nearing historic lows, threatening hydropower production and raising concerns about the Colorado River's sustainability for 40 million people.
- As Lake Powell shrinks, marinas are having to adapt to dwindling water levels
Lake Powell's water levels have dropped to historic lows due to drought, climate change, and overuse, forcing marinas to adapt by relocating boat ramps and facilities. The reservoir is 23% full and nearing levels that could halt hydropower production, with combined Lake Powell and Lake Mead storage at their lowest in nearly 70 years.
- 'A five-alarm fire': Western reservoirs that supply California fall to record low levels
The Colorado River's largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have reached record low levels, prompting researchers to urge immediate reductions in water usage. The decline highlights critical concerns over water supply in California.
- Lake Powell reaching critically low elevation levels, experts say
Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., is nearing critically low water elevation levels, the latest data shows. Experts say this development is reaching critical thresholds.
- Supercharged bubbles are threatening Lake Powell’s dam. Federal officials are battling to sustain water levels.
Supercharged bubbles are threatening Lake Powell's dam, with federal officials working to maintain water levels. The same forces that impacted Glen Canyon Dam in 1983 are now causing concern as Lake Powell reaches historic lows.
- The Colorado River is vanishing — and the fixes are getting weird
The Colorado River faces collapse due to chronic overuse and drought, with seven Western states deadlocked over water reduction agreements. The Trump administration is shifting toward federal funding for supply-boosting projects as states fail to resolve disputes between Upper and Lower Basin regions.
- Emergency Drawdown at Flaming Gorge Hits Its Recreation Economy
The drought-induced emergency drawdown at Flaming Gorge Reservoir to conserve water for Lake Powell is disrupting recreational activities. Boat ramps at Buckboard Marina are damaged due to low water levels, forcing refunds and repairs, and impeding access for campers and boaters.
- Latest Colorado River proposal is disappointing, some officials say. Here’s why.
The federal government is proposing a 10-year plan to manage the Colorado River's reservoirs due to stalled negotiations among seven states and Mexico. Officials express concerns about the plan's requirement to renegotiate operations every two years, which could hinder long-term stability and funding for water management programs.
- California, Arizona and Nevada propose water-saving plan for Colorado River
California, Arizona, and Nevada have proposed voluntary water-saving measures for the next three years to address declining water levels in the Colorado River's Lake Mead and Lake Powell reservoirs. The plan aims to buy time as negotiations over long-term solutions remain stalled, with reservoir levels at historic lows due to overdrawing, reduced snowpack, and climate change.
- Trump administration takes emergency step to sustain key Colorado River reservoir
The Trump administration has initiated emergency federal actions to address the worsening crisis at Lake Powell, a key Colorado River reservoir. The measures aim to stabilize water levels amid intensifying drought conditions and declining reservoir capacity.
- Not only is Lake Powell's water level plummeting because of drought, its total capacity is shrinking, too
Lake Powell, the second-largest human-made reservoir in the US, has lost nearly 7% of its potential storage capacity since 1963. The decline is attributed to drought and other factors, as highlighted by a recent report.