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By Joe Edwards
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Official figures show how water levels at Lake Powell—a vital reservoir for multiple states across the western U.S.—changed throughout 2025.
Lake Powell, a part of the Colorado River network, is the second largest reservoir in the U.S, capable of storing over 24 million acre-feet of water—the amount of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. The largest is Lake Mead, also along the Colorado River, which has a capacity of more than 26 million acre-feet.
The river system supplies critical water to millions in states including Arizona, California, Nevada, and parts of Mexico. However, declining water levels could jeopardize city water systems, farm irrigation, and hydroelectric power output.
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According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), Lake Powell’s elevation was 3566.75 feet at the start of January.
Between February and April, levels fell from 3562.75 to 3557.90. The reservoir’s elevation then rose to 3558.98 in May and again to 3561.30 in June.
July, August, September and October saw start of month elevations of 3555.36, 3548.18, 3544.69, and 3545.46 respectively.
November’s start of month elevation for Lake Powell was 3543.26, according to USBR data.
As of December 21, official data shows that Lake Powell was just 27 percent full with around 6.5 million acre-feet of water in storage—roughly 44 percent of the average level for the date.
Talks have been underway to set new operating rules for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs both on the Colorado River and in the U.S. The existing framework, known as the 2007 Operating Guidelines, expires in 2026. The post-2026 guidelines will govern how much water is released from the nation’s two largest reservoirs.
"Currently, the water-in-storage situation for the Colorado River system is not good," Sharon Megdal, director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center told Newsweek.
"[There is] less is in storage than last year, and current snow conditions are not good. Even if early 2026 snowpack is robust, the system will remain highly stressed. The region is faced with difficult choices regarding Colorado River water deliveries and dam operations, including those related hydropower generation," said Megdal.
"The debates regarding river management reflect these physical realities. There are many trade-offs to consider. We cannot keep drawing from savings (system storage) when the system is not making sufficient deposits of water. We must work with what nature is providing," Megdal added.
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