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last mo.

U.S. Orders Emergency Colorado River Reoperation to Prop Up Lake Powell

The move prioritizes keeping Glen Canyon Dam generating power during a record-low runoff year.

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PAGE, ARIZONA - JULY 10: The sun rises over Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area on July 10, 2025 in Page, Arizona. Lake Powell, a critical Colorado River reservoir, is only at a third of its capacity as drought conditions in the Southwest worsen. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation announced Friday an emergency plan that cuts releases from Lake Powell and moves water from Flaming Gorge to avert a power shutdown at Glen Canyon Dam.
  • Reclamation will lower Powell’s releases to the legal minimum of 6 million acre-feet through late summer and send 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet from Flaming Gorge over the next year.
  • Agency modeling projects Lake Powell will rise about 54 feet and stay at or above 3,500 feet through April 2027, which keeps turbines at Glen Canyon Dam online.
  • Officials warn the smaller outflow will speed Lake Mead’s decline and could reduce Hoover Dam’s electricity production by up to 40 percent as early as this fall.
  • Flaming Gorge is expected to drop roughly 35 feet, affecting boating and local businesses, while Lake Powell boaters face newly exposed hazards, and Arizona has signaled possible legal action as longer-term basin cuts remain unresolved.