Lake Powell hits record low, threatening key water and electricity supply for millions

Lake Powell's water level fell to its lowest point on record Saturday, dipping just below the previous low set in April 2023, according to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation data cited in the report.

The reservoir is down more than 20 feet since January and is now roughly 30 feet from the elevation at which its hydroelectric turbines would stop generating power, a threshold federal officials warned in April would require a major intervention to avoid.

Seven states depend on the Colorado River system that feeds Powell and Lake Mead, which hit its own record low about a week earlier, and combined storage hasn't been this small since 1957, when the dam holding back Powell was still under construction.

The Bureau proposed a 10-year plan in July involving major water cuts for Arizona, California and Nevada, while marinas on the shrinking lake relocate boat ramps to chase the retreating waterline.

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