Lake Powell Reaches Record Low, Intensifying Western Water Crisis

Lake Powell, the United States’ second-largest reservoir, dropped to a record low of 3,519.91 feet, edging past the previous record and leaving it about 30 feet from the dam’s minimum power pool; Lake Mead has also hit new lows, highlighting a long-running Colorado River drought driven by climate change and heavy water use. Powell and Mead store roughly 60% of the basin’s water and power the region, prompting federal plans for water cuts across seven states in coming days, while El Niño could bring limited relief but won’t reverse years of drought.