From Newsweek · · 1m 30s
Lake Powell Drains to Record Low
Satellite images reveal Lake Powell’s water level dropped to a record low in 9 years.
In brief
Satellite images reveal Lake Powell’s water level dropped to a record low in 9 years. Lake Powell reached its lowest recorded level in 9 years, with water at 3,517.24 feet after a record drought. Originally reported by Newsweek.
Satellite images show Lake Powell’s retreat
Newly released satellite images compare Lake Powell’s elevation on September 1, 2017, with September 10, 2026, revealing a significant drop in water levels.
Lake Powell hits record low water level
Lake Powell’s water level stood at 3,517.24 feet in September 2026, falling below the previous record low of 3,519.92 feet set in April 2023.
Lake Powell and Lake Mead hit record lows
Both Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir, reached record lows in August after a record-low winter snowpack in the Colorado River Basin during 2025-2026.
Bureau of Reclamation warns of risks
The Bureau of Reclamation warned that without major intervention, Lake Powell’s water decline could threaten hydropower production at Glen Canyon Dam.
Federal actions to stabilize water levels
Federal water managers released water from upstream Flaming Gorge Reservoir and reduced releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead in April to help bolster falling water levels.
Projected water level changes
Lake Powell could rise by 40 feet by June 2028, while Lake Mead might fall to 998.40 feet in August 2028 under a scenario of 6 million acre-feet water release from Lake Powell in 2027.
At a glance
Lake Powell reached its lowest recorded level in 9 years, with water at 3,517.24 feet after a record drought.
