Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the twin pillars of the Colorado River system, are once again near historic lows in July 2026. Lake Mead sits around 1,041–1,042 feet elevation—roughly 27 percent of capacity—hovering near previous record lows. Lake Powell is near 3,523 feet, about 23 percent full. Releases from Glen Canyon Dam have been reduced to 6.0 million acre-feet for the current water year to protect infrastructure and power generation. The Lower Basin is in a Tier 1 shortage

The Colorado River, a lifeline for over 40 million people across the American Southwest, is facing an unprecedented crisis. At the center of this crisis are Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs in the United States, both hovering at critically low levels as of mid-February 2026. Lake Powell, created by Glen Canyon Dam, is currently at approximately 3,533 feet above sea level—about 167 feet below full pool—and holds only about 24% of its total capacity.