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[INTERNATIONAL] · United States, Mexico · 4 sources

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Part of situation: Colorado River crisis deepens as record lows trigger federal (32 clusters)

Lake Powell hits record low water level

Lake Powell Colorado River drought water crisis hydroelectric power reservoir levels

Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the United States, has reached a record-low water level. According to data from the US Bureau of Reclamation, the reservoir's elevation dropped to 3,519.91 feet on Saturday, narrowly surpassing the previous record low of 3,519.92 feet set in April 2023.

This decline follows a similar record low reached by Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, just nine days prior. Experts note that the combined water levels of these two massive reservoirs, which are separated by the Grand Canyon, are at their lowest point since 1957. The reservoir is currently less than 30 feet away from the threshold at which the Glen Canyon Dam will be unable to generate hydroelectric power.

The Colorado River, which feeds these reservoirs, provides water to approximately 40 million people and irrigates over 5 million acres of farmland across seven US states and Mexico. The river has shrunk by roughly 20% since 2000, driven by climate change-induced drought, rising temperatures, and heavy water usage.

Entities

Colorado River · Jack Schmidt · Lake Mead · Lake Powell · US Bureau of Reclamation

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The current water situation is a natural disaster. abc7.com
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The Colorado River provides water to approximately 40 million people and irrigates over 5 million acres of farmland. localnews8.com · kvia.com
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Lake Powell is less than 30 feet away from the threshold where the dam can no longer generate hydroelectric power. localnews8.com · kvia.com
  • [● 3 SOURCES] The new level breaks the previous record low of 3,519.92 feet set in April 2023. localnews8.com · abc7.com · kvia.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The combined water levels of Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at their lowest since 1957. abc7.com
  • [● 3 SOURCES] The current water levels represent uncharted territory. localnews8.com · abc7.com · kvia.com
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The Colorado River has shrunk by approximately 20% since the year 2000. localnews8.com · kvia.com
  • [● 3 SOURCES] Lake Powell's level dropped to 3,519.91 feet on Saturday. localnews8.com · abc7.com · kvia.com

Sources

Lake Powell Reaches Unprecedented Low, Prompting Fresh Focus on Water-Wise Landscaping - The Garden Magazine [thegardenmagazine.com]
about 2 hours ago
‘Uncharted territory’: Second-largest reservoir in US plunges to a record low [localnews8.com]
about 5 hours ago
Lake Powell, nation's second-largest reservoir, hits record-low level [abc7.com]
about 3 hours ago
‘Uncharted territory’: Second-largest reservoir in US plunges to a record low [kvia.com]
about 5 hours ago