WORLD NEWS
Lake Powell fell to 3,517.24 feet, below the 2023 record low
Lake Powell in the U.S. West stood at 3,517.24 feet above sea level on September 10, 2026, in record-low territory.
That was 2.68 feet below the previous record of 3,519.92 feet in April 2023. It does not mean Glen Canyon Dam had already stopped generating power.
What drove the record
The Upper Colorado Basin received little mountain snow in winter 2025–2026, and record warmth depleted that snowpack further. Weak spring snowmelt allowed the lake to cross below the old record on August 15 and continue falling into September.
How close was the power threshold
The September 10 level was about 27 feet above the 3,490-foot minimum power pool, below which turbines cannot generate effectively. That gap is a snapshot, not a guarantee; inflows, releases and season can change it.
Why one reservoir matters widely
The Colorado River system supplies water and power to more than 40 million people and irrigates roughly five million acres of farmland. Those figures describe the whole river system, not the number of direct Lake Powell users.
What happens next
The Bureau of Reclamation released extra water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir and reduced releases from Powell to protect power generation. Snowpack, monthly operating plans and measured lake elevation are the next evidence to watch.
Primary source and independent checks
Primary source: NASA Earth Observatory
Institutional explanation: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 대응 발표
Independent check: NASA Earthdata 독립 관측 설명
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