{"data":{"id":"the-colorado-river-s-two-largest-reservoirs-hit-record-lows-c18d4a","slug":"the-colorado-river-s-two-largest-reservoirs-hit-record-lows-c18d4a","title":"The Colorado River's two largest reservoirs hit record lows together, 27 feet from losing power","dek":"Federal emergency plumbing is propping up Powell by draining upstream reservoirs and cutting flows to Mead — a zero-sum shuffle that buys a year or two at most while seven states still have no deal on permanent cuts.","published_at":"2026-09-23T12:24:41.786353+00:00","status":"publishable","tags":["U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)","Colorado River","Colorado River Basin states","Central Arizona Project (CAP)","Glen Canyon Dam"],"places":["United States","Mexico"],"quick_take":{"whatHappened":"In late August and early September 2026 Lake Powell and Lake Mead — the Colorado River's two largest reservoirs — both sank to their lowest levels on record, leaving Powell at 3,517 feet, just 27 feet above the point its turbines stop working.","whyItMatters":"At about one-third full the system cannot meet promises written for a wetter century, threatening water for 40 million people, power for about a million homes and irrigation for 5 million acres — and shuffling water between reservoirs only buys a year or two without permanent demand cuts.","whatIsUncertain":"Whether emergency releases from upstream reservoirs can keep Powell above its power pool through 2028 if inflows stay near 37% of average, and whether Washington will impose deep mandatory cuts or accept the states' smaller voluntary offer after a missed February deadline."},"markdown":"The Colorado River's two giant reservoirs — Lake Powell behind Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Mead behind Hoover Dam — fell to their lowest levels on record in late summer 2026. Powell dropped to 3,517 feet on Sept. 10, below its April 2023 low; Mead sank to 1,039 feet at the end of August, its lowest since it first filled in 1935. Together they hold 92% of the basin's stored water — the supply for 40 million people, power for about a million homes and irrigation for 5 million acres across seven US states and Mexico.\n\n\n\n![The Colorado River's plumbing: two giant reservoirs and the canal that decides who gets cut](/analytics/the-colorado-river-s-two-largest-reservoirs-hit-record-lows-c18d4a/analytic_req_map_basin_plumbing_01.svg)\n\n*Where the Colorado River stores and moves water — from Flaming Gorge to Powell and Mead to Arizona. This locator map shows the Colorado River plumbing from Flaming Gorge and Lake Powell to Lake Mead, then south to Mexico, with the Central Arizona Project carrying water from Lake Havasu toward Phoenix and Tucson. Facility coordinates come from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s RISE and project records ([Flaming Gorge] [Lake Powell] [Lake Mead] [Lake Havasu] the CAP’s 336-mile length and destinations are documented by Reclamation ([CAP project page] The river and canal strokes are readable locator routes between those sourced facilities, not surveyed channel centerlines. — AI-assisted analytic, built only from real cited or sourced data. Source: NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science, Newsweek, Deseret News. As of 2026-09-22.*\n\n### A system one-third full\n\nPowell at 3,517 feet is about 183 feet below full and held about 5.1 million acre-feet at the end of August, about 22% of what it can usefully hold. An acre-foot — water covering an acre a foot deep, about 326,000 gallons — is the basin's accounting unit, roughly what two to three households use in a year.\n\nThe whole basin started water year 2026 with 21.8 million acre-feet, 37% of its 58.5-million capacity, down 3.35 million from a year earlier. By mid-July Powell and Mead together held about 12.7 million acre-feet, the lowest since before Powell filled in the early 1960s. One wet winter like 2022-23 cannot refill a hole that deep.\n\nPowell was 27 feet above the level where its turbines stop working reliably. Below 3,490 feet, Glen Canyon Dam's eight turbines — 1,320 megawatts at full capacity — can no longer generate effectively. It was 147 feet above dead pool, about 3,370 feet, where no water can pass the dam at all. Every foot of decline costs about 3 megawatts; generation has already fallen about 17%, from about 4,600 gigawatt-hours a year before the drought to about 3,800.\n\n### Why the river shrank\n\nThe immediate trigger was winter 2025-26. Eight Western states set record lows on April 1 — when snowpack is normally deepest — for snow water equivalent, the water contained in snow. The Colorado River Basin had its warmest March on record, 13.7 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Peak snow arrived three to five weeks early, most forecast points were expected to produce less than 30% of average spring-summer runoff, and drier soils soaked up more before it reached the river.\n\nThe Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that operates the dams, forecast the natural flow that would have reached Powell without dams at 3.52 million acre-feet for water year 2026, 37% of average and among the lowest on record. August inflow was about 1,000 acre-feet, effectively zero.\n\nThat bad winter sits atop a 25-year drying. The period 2000-2022 was the lowest 23-year inflow period since Glen Canyon Dam began filling in 1963, averaging 8.29 million acre-feet versus a 1991-2020 average of 9.60 million. Flows have shrunk about 20% since 2000 as warming increased evaporation and reduced how efficiently rain and snow become river flow.\n\nHow much of the 2026 snow drought was driven by human-caused warming versus natural variability is not established. Two other widely reported figures — a projection that Mead could fall to about 998 feet by August 2028, and the scale of future delivery cuts — have not been confirmed in the published federal documents themselves.\n\n### Emergency plumbing that moves the problem\n\nIn April 2026 the Bureau began emergency operations to keep Powell above 3,490 feet. It is zero-sum, not a fix.\n\nThree linked moves: release 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet from Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Green River in northern Utah and southern Wyoming through April 2027, dropping it from about 83% full toward about 59%; cut annual releases from Powell to Mead from 7.48 million acre-feet to 6.0 million, a 20% cut; and cancel an April controlled flood meant to rebuild sandbars and an August release of cold deep water meant to protect native fish.\n\n\n\n![Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall](/analytics/the-colorado-river-s-two-largest-reservoirs-hit-record-lows-c18d4a/analytic_req_chart_powell_elevation_02.svg)\n\n*How Lake Powell fell nearly 180 feet in 25 years — and how close it is to losing hydropower. Lake Powell’s observed water-surface elevation fell from roughly 3,689 feet at the start of water year 2000 to a new record low of 3,517.24 feet on Sept. 10, 2026—27 feet above the 3,490-foot minimum power pool and about 183 feet below full pool. The monthly trajectory and dated record points come from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Glen Canyon Dam Water Operations / RISE daily elevation series: threshold levels are shown as labeled reference lines from USBR Glen Canyon Dam water operations — AI-assisted analytic, built only from real cited or sourced data. Source: ScienceDaily, NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science, Newsweek. As of 2026-09-22.*\n\nThe goal is to raise Powell about 54 feet to at least 3,500 feet by April 2027. The Bureau's September outlook projects Powell could reach 3,558 feet by June 2028 if the smaller releases continue.\n\nThe trade-off is that Mead falls faster. Hoover Dam's capacity could drop about 40% as soon as this fall. Upstream states warn the shuffling only delays the underlying imbalance by one to two years without demand cuts, and insist every drop taken from Flaming Gorge be fully recovered when hydrology improves. Blue Mesa Reservoir in Colorado is already barely above its own power pool — the level below which it too cannot generate — and senior water rights dating to the 1860s face curtailment.\n\nThe canceled environmental flows are contested. The cold-water release would have drawn from deep below the warm intakes to keep invasive smallmouth bass from spawning. Below about 3,530 feet bass passage through the dam increases; without it, water in the upper 70s Fahrenheit can trigger explosive growth.\n\n### Who gets cut\n\nThe shortage is baked into law. The 1922 Colorado River Compact split the river 7.5 million acre-feet to the Upper Basin — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico — and 7.5 million to the Lower Basin — Arizona, California and Nevada — plus 1.5 million to Mexico under a 1944 treaty. The split was based on flows measured during unusually wet years that have never returned.\n\nUnder that Law of the River, priority decides who is cut first. In the Lower Basin, California holds senior rights to 4.4 million acre-feet, Arizona 2.8 million and Nevada 0.3 million. Arizona's Central Arizona Project — the 336-mile canal that carries river water to Phoenix and Tucson — is junior within the Lower Basin, so it absorbs cuts first. Within that canal, tribes are senior, then cities, then non-tribal agriculture is most junior.\n\nA 10-year Decision Framework for 2027-2036, whose Record of Decision was issued Aug. 21, 2026 to replace 2007 rules expiring this year, would reassess operations every two years. Federal planning has contemplated cuts of up to about 3 million acre-feet per year to Lower Basin deliveries on a priority basis — about 40% for those states. The Lower Basin states have offered a voluntary alternative of 1.25 million acre-feet per year for two years — Arizona 760,000, California 440,000, Nevada 50,000 — still about 27-30% of Arizona's allocation and about half the canal's supply. Seven states missed a February deadline to agree on new rules.\n\nThe same shrinking water now pulls six interests in opposite directions, and the fight is over who bears permanent cuts when the water to honor every promise is not there.\n\nUpper Basin states, through the Upper Colorado River Commission, say natural shortage already imposes more than 40% cuts on them — more than 2.0 million acre-feet in 2026 — and that Lower Basin demand for Phoenix, Las Vegas and California agriculture drove the depletion of Powell and Mead, which the Upper Basin does not directly rely on. Chair Becky Mitchell described it as being asked \"to solve a problem we didn't create with water we don't have.\" Lower Basin governors argue the system was over-allocated in 1922 and all basins benefited from storage assumptions, so depletion is a shared responsibility.\n\nTribal nations, holding senior and often unquantified rights excluded from the 1922 Compact, say guidelines that deviate from priority breach the federal trust responsibility without consent. The Gila River Indian Community — the largest canal holder with about 121,000 acre-feet — said it will challenge cuts \"in every forum available\" if final guidelines fall short. The Colorado River Indian Tribes, holding more than 23% of Arizona's allocation with the most senior rights, said its limited role does not reflect its rights. The Navajo Nation notes its Arizona rights remain unquantified after a settlement for the Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute was blocked in Congress by Upper Basin states, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe warns its 52,000 acre-foot settlement, including 25,000 acre-feet of canal water, is at risk.\n\nMexico, under an amendment to the treaty known as Minute 334 signed Sept. 2, 2026 in El Paso through December 2028, accepted a proportional cut of 250,000 acre-feet per year — about 17% of its 1.5-million allocation — matching the Lower Basin's 1.25-million burden, with consultation on further cuts, potential increases if Mead reaches 1,125 feet, and $5.6 million for delta habitat. Its commissioners emphasized parity, not bearing disproportionate shortage while U.S. basins argue.\n\nEnvironmental groups — the Glen Canyon Institute, American Rivers and the Center for Biological Diversity — call the canceled flood and cold-water release an abandonment of humpback chub recovery and bass control, externalizing ecological costs for a one- to two-year delay. The Glen Canyon Institute called 2026 the \"most predicted disaster of all time\" and criticized the failure to assess retrofits for a dam whose plumbing was not designed for low water. Hydropower customers — 155 utilities with priority to buy federal hydropower, represented by the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association — and the Bureau call keeping Powell above power pool non-negotiable for the Western grid, which totals 286,000 megawatts. They called the cold-water cancellation the \"right call\" to avoid millions in replacement power costs.\n\nWithout permanent conservation, reservoir shuffling moves water from one low pool to another. Demand grew as supply shrank — Phoenix, Las Vegas and California agriculture expanded while the river lost about a fifth of its flow — and groundwater pumping has accelerated as surface cuts deepen. The question left for the post-2026 rules is not whether the river is smaller than the promises written for it — it is — but whether senior rights, tribal trust responsibilities and treaty parity can be honored at all.","receipts_markdown":"**How this piece is framed:** A plumbing system built for a wetter century hits its floor — record lows as the visible symptom of a structural deficit\n\n**Charts & tables** — _AI-assisted; provenance on each line_\n- The Colorado River's plumbing: two giant reservoirs and the canal that decides who gets cut — sourced for this figure · as of 2026-09-22\n- Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall — sourced for this figure · as of 2026-09-22\n\n**Sources**\n- (primary) Snow Drought Current Conditions and Impacts in the West | April 9, 2026 — Drought.gov / NIDIS — https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Tribes push back on federal plan for Colorado River water cuts — ICT — https://ictnews.org/news/tribes-push-back-on-federal-plan-for-colorado-river-water-cuts  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) New Colorado River plan causes concern and uncertainty for some tribal nations in Arizona — KNAU — https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2026-08-04/new-colorado-river-plan-causes-concern-and-uncertainty-for-some-tribal-nations-in-arizona  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels — NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science — https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) United States and Mexico announce Colorado River cooperative agreement (Minute 334) — International Boundary and Water Commission — https://www.ibwc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/US-and-Mexico-announce-Colorado-River-cooperative-agreement.pdf  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Threatened fish left vulnerable as feds protect Lake Powell hydropower — AZFamily — https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/07/threatened-fish-left-vulnerable-feds-protect-lake-powell-hydropower  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Wyoming, Upper Basin States: Water Taken From Flaming Gorge Should Be Replaced — Cowboy State Daily — https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/09/14/lake-powell-crisis-averted-wyoming-wants-water-taken-from-flaming-gorge-replaced  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Long-Term Drought and Glen Canyon Dam: Potential Effects on Water Deliveries and Hydropower (R47497) — EveryCRSReport.com — https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R47497.html  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) US strikes Colorado River deal with Mexico — Colorado Sun — https://coloradosun.com/2026/09/09/united-states-mexico-colorado-river-deal  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Gila River Indian Community blasts federal Colorado River cutback plan — Tucson.com — https://tucson.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_65938492-1bcf-4ebe-8acc-1d078e9d66f2.html  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Colorado River Compact (1922) certified text - Article III — U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/pao/pdfiles/crcompct.pdf  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study - Colorado River System Reservoirs — U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/studies/24Month_07.pdf  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Sharing the Colorado River and the Rio Grande: Cooperation and Conflict with Mexico (R45430) - 1944 Water Treaty Article 10 1.5 maf — EveryCRSReport.com — https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R45430.html  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Risks to Grand Canyon's Endangered Fish Grow as Colorado River Declines, Invasive Fish Barriers Delayed — Center for Biological Diversity — https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/risks-to-grand-canyons-endangered-fish-grow-as-colorado-river-declines-invasive-fish-barriers-delayed-2026-04-17  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Lake Mead at Hoover Dam, End of Month Elevation (Feet) - Lower Colorado River Operations — U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation — U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region — https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Glen Canyon Dam Faces Its Existential Moment — Circle of Blue — https://www.circleofblue.org/2026/supply/glen-canyon-dam-faces-its-existential-moment  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Colorado River Post-2026 Operations - Record of Decision and 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines — U.S. Bureau of Reclamation — https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/post2026  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) Treaties Between the U.S. and Mexico - 1944 Water Treaty Utilization of waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande — IBWC — https://www.ibwc.gov/Treaties_Minutes/treaties.html  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (primary) A deal still hasn't been reached between Lower Basin and Upper Basin states on management of Colorado River — CBS News — https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/lower-basin-rejects-colorado-river-agreement-upper-basin-consensus  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (secondary) What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion? — Deseret News — https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (secondary) US Plan To Allocate Water From The Colorado River Will Severely Impact California, Arizona, & Nevada — CleanTechnica — https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/16/us-plan-to-allocate-water-from-the-colorado-river-will-severely-impact-california-arizona-nevada  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (secondary) Satellite Images Show How Lake Powell Has Drained to Record Low in 9 Years — Newsweek — https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (secondary) One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low — ScienceDaily — https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm  ·  _read in full · captured 2026-09-23_\n- (secondary) What's happening with the Colorado River? Here's the breakdown. — The Colorado Sun — https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report  ·  _full text not obtained — used its summary_\n- (secondary) Reclamation acts to protect Colorado River system during historic drought — Maven's Notebook — https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/17/reclamation-acts-to-protect-colorado-river-system-during-historic-drought  ·  _full text not obtained — used its summary_\n- (secondary) Lake Powell Has 27 Feet Of Margin, Lake Mead Has 88 — WorldAtlas — https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/lake-powell-has-27-feet-of-margin-lake-mead-has-88.html  ·  _full text not obtained — used its summary_\n\n**Claims, and how far we tracked each down**\n- _[confirmed]_ Gila River Indian Community (largest CAP holder, ~121k af leased/exchanged) stated federal 2027-2028 guidelines deviate from Law of the River and fail trust responsibility, will challenge cuts 'in every forum available' if final guidelines do not meet reasonable expectations, while seeking negotiated interim path and federal offset funding  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ At end of August 2026, Lake Powell storage was about 5.14 million acre-feet, about 22% of live capacity, approximately 183 feet below full pool (3,700 feet).  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ USBR Lower Colorado Region official end-of-month elevation table shows Lake Mead at Hoover Dam at 1038.83 feet at end of August 2026 (2026: Jan 1065.37, Feb 1066.14, Mar 1062.05, Apr 1056.32, May 1050.00, Jun 1044.58, Jul 1041.10, Aug 1038.83), the lowest value in the 1935-2026 record displayed, below prior lows including July 2022 1041.71 and August 2024 1063.16, confirming Lake Mead also hit record lows in August 2026.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[likely]_ Federal planning in 2026 contemplated cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year to Lower Basin deliveries under a 10-year framework reassessed every two years; a Lower Basin states voluntary proposal offered 1.25 million acre-feet per year for two years (Arizona 760,000, California 440,000, Nevada 50,000).  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact Article III(a), 7.5 million acre-feet per annum was apportioned in perpetuity to the Upper Basin and 7.5 million acre-feet per annum to the Lower Basin for exclusive beneficial consumptive use, which shall include all water necessary for the supply of any rights which may now exist.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ USBR's September 2026 'most probable' 24-Month Study projected that with 6.0 million acre-feet released from Powell in water year 2027, Lake Powell could rise to 3,558.44 feet by June 2028 while Lake Mead could fall to 998.40 feet in August 2028.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Environmental groups oppose canceled habitat releases: American Rivers (Matt Rice) said cool-mix flows are 'most effective way to mitigate smallmouth bass invasion' and cancellation risks 'death sentence to humpback chub'; Center for Biological Diversity warned Powell below 3,530 ft increases bass passage, cool-mix (cold water at 3,374 ft vs warm penstocks at 3,470 ft) prevented spawning in 2024-2025, and without barriers temps in upper 70s could trigger explosive invasive growth; Glen Canyon Institute (Eric Balken) called 2026 'most predicted disaster of all time' and criticized failure to assess dam retrofits in EIS  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[contested]_ USBR April 2026 emergency measures releasing 660k-1M af from Flaming Gorge and cutting Powell releases to 6.0 maf — Upper Basin officials warn this only delays underlying demand imbalance by 1-2 years and demand full recovery  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir downstream on the Colorado River, also reached record-low levels in August 2026.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Under existing 'law of the river' priority, California holds the highest priority among Lower Basin states, so mandatory cuts fall most heavily on Arizona, particularly Central Arizona Project users (336-mile canal serving Phoenix/Tucson), where tribes have highest priority within CAP, followed by cities, with non-tribal agriculture lowest priority.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[likely]_ As of September 2026, Lake Powell remained about 27 feet above minimum power pool (3,517 vs 3,490 feet) and about 147 feet above dead pool.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), holding >23% of Arizona's Colorado River allocation with most senior rights, stated limited role in federal process does not reflect extent of rights; Attorney General Rebecca Loudbear wrote limited role does not reflect nature of rights, but as long as law is followed senior rights will be protected  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Without intervention, USBR projected Lake Powell could fall below the 3,490-foot minimum power pool elevation by August 2026, at which Glen Canyon Dam's hydroelectric turbines can no longer generate effectively; dead pool where water cannot pass the dam is about 3,370 feet.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Water year 2026 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell was forecast at 3.52 million acre-feet, 37% of average, among the lowest on record; August 2026 inflow was 1,000 acre-feet (0% of average).  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Total Colorado River Basin system storage at beginning of water year 2026 was 21.8 million acre-feet, 37% of 58.48 million acre-feet total capacity, down 3.35 million acre-feet from the prior year; combined Lake Powell and Lake Mead storage hit a historic low of about 12.7 million acre-feet in mid-July 2026.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Other tribal perspectives: Navajo Nation delegate Brenda Jesus noted exclusion from 1922 Compact and unquantified Arizona rights with settlement for Navajo/Hopi/San Juan Southern Paiute blocked in Congress by Upper Basin states (CO, UT, WY, NM); White Mountain Apache Tribe (52k af settlement, 25k af CAP) warned CAP cuts would impact its allocation; scholar Heather Tanana noted federal trust responsibility may support tribal protection claims with litigation risk  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ The Southwest has experienced a megadrought since around 2000; the period 2000-2022 was the lowest 23-year inflow period since Glen Canyon Dam filling began in 1963, averaging 8.29 million acre-feet (93% of 1991-2020 average of 9.60 maf).  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ The Colorado River system provides water and electricity to more than 40 million people (including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego) and water to about 5 million acres of farmland.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Glen Canyon Dam has installed nameplate capacity of 1,320 megawatts (eight turbines), enough to power about 1 million homes; every foot of decline loses about 3 MW of capacity, and generation has fallen ~17% from 4,600 GWh/year pre-drought to ~3,800 GWh/year 2000-2020.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Utah Colorado River Commissioner Gene Shawcroft and UCRC Sept 2026: Flaming Gorge DROA releases (~1 MAF through April 2027, reservoir ~70% full down 38 ft) only delay crisis by 1-2 years without Lower Basin demand cuts; storage is essentially gone, Blue Mesa barely above power pool with senior 1860s rights facing curtailment, and Utah will insist every drop be fully recovered when hydrology improves  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[contested]_ USBR canceled April 2026 controlled flood and August 2026 cool-mix release to protect Powell hydropower — decision contested by environmental groups as prioritizing power over humpback chub habitat and invasive bass control  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Upper Colorado River Commission Feb 14 2026 consensus: Upper Basin states (CO, UT, WY, NM) agreed on durable long-term post-2026 operations, stating Upper Basin users face >2.0 MAF reductions and >40% of proven water rights in 2026 due to natural hydrologic shortage, and that Lower Basin demands seek water that does not exist. Chair Becky Mitchell: 'We're being asked to solve a problem we didn't create with water we don't have. The Upper Division's approach is aligned with hydrologic reality.'  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, 7.5 million acre-feet was allocated each to the Upper Basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico) and Lower Basin (Arizona, California, Nevada), plus 1.5 million acre-feet to Mexico; the 1968 authorization of the Central Arizona Project gave Arizona the lowest priority within the Lower Basin.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Lake Powell fell to its lowest level on record in late August to early September 2026.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[likely]_ USBR Glen Canyon Dam Water Operations page (Sept 15, 2026) confirms end-August 2026 Powell elevation 3,517.87 feet (22% live capacity, 5.14 maf) and September 2026 24-Month Study projection that Powell will end WY 2026 near 3,514.98 feet; July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study projects continued low Lake Mead elevations under 6.0 maf Powell releases and shortage conditions, but the specific projection of Lake Mead falling to 998.40 feet in August 2028 remains sourced only to secondary Newsweek and was not found in the deep-read July 2026 study.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ The previous record low for Lake Powell was 3,519.92 feet set on April 13, 2023; the reservoir fell below that level about a month before September 10, 2026, first reaching a new record low on August 15, 2026.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ The primary driver was an exceptionally dry and warm winter 2025-2026 producing a snow drought in the Upper Colorado Basin, with far less snowmelt than normal feeding the Colorado River.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ On April 1, 2026, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming set new record-low snow water equivalent values since SNOTEL monitoring began in the 1980s; the Colorado River Basin experienced its warmest March on record at 13.7°F above normal.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ On September 10, 2026, Lake Powell's water surface stood at 3,517.24 feet elevation as captured by Landsat 8 OLI imagery.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[likely]_ Hydropower customers support prioritizing power pool: Colorado River Energy Distributors Association (155 customers) called cool-mix cancellation 'right call' to avoid millions in replacement power costs; Reclamation cited 'significant hydropower generation concerns under already strained system conditions' and will focus on removal actions and structural solutions instead  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Article III(c) of the 1922 Compact provides that if the United States recognizes a right in Mexico to Colorado River waters, such waters shall be supplied first from surplus over the aggregate of 7.5+7.5+1.0 maf, and any deficiency shall be equally borne by Upper and Lower Basins with Upper Division delivering at Lee Ferry one-half the deficiency; the 1944 Water Treaty Article 10 guarantees Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet per year, reduced proportionally only in extraordinary drought or serious accident to the U.S. irrigation system.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Congress authorized the Central Arizona Project in the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968 (Pub. L. 90-537, 82 Stat. 885, codified at 43 U.S.C. §§1501-1556); under Law of the River priority, California holds senior Lower Basin rights (4.4 MAF under Boulder Canyon Project Act) while Arizona's CAP is junior and absorbs shortages first, with Lower Basin allocations apportioned as 4.4 MAF California, 2.8 MAF Arizona, 0.3 MAF Nevada.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Department of the Interior / Bureau of Reclamation issued the Record of Decision for the Decision Framework for Colorado River Guidelines: Coordinated Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2027-2036) and the 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines on August 21, 2026, establishing a 10-year Decision Framework with 2-year operating guidelines intervals; for WY 2026 USBR reduced Lake Powell's annual release from 7.48 maf to 6.00 maf under Section 6.E of the 2024 Interim Guidelines SEIS ROD to avoid declining below 3,500 feet, with Drought Response Operations releasing 660,000 acre-feet to 1.00 maf from Flaming Gorge to Lake Powell by April 2027.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ Mexico via IBWC Minute 334 signed Sept 2 2026 El Paso (valid through Dec 31 2028, replacing Minutes 323/330) agreed to 250,000 af/year cut in 2027-2028 (~17% of 1.5 maf 1944 Treaty allocation, proportional to 1.25 maf Lower Basin US cuts), with consultation on additional 2028 cuts if forecasts worsen, potential increases if Lake Mead reaches 1,125 ft, continuation of Mexico's Water Reserve up to 1.5 maf, Salinity Pilot Program, and Binational Environmental Work Group with $5.6M for delta habitat; Commissioners Chad McIntosh and Adriana Reséndez emphasized proportionality/parity  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ In April 2026 the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began emergency measures to keep Lake Powell above hydropower thresholds, including releasing 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet from Flaming Gorge Reservoir (northern Utah/southern Wyoming) through April 2027 and reducing annual releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead from 7.48 to 6.0 million acre-feet through September 2026.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n- _[confirmed]_ A majority of Colorado River Basin streamflow forecast points were forecast to produce less than 30% of average runoff in spring-summer 2026; peak snow water equivalent occurred 21-34 days earlier than normal across Western states.  ·  read in full (as of 2026-09-23)\n\n**Where we hit a limit / what to double-check**\n- We did not obtain the full text of **What's happening with the Colorado River? Here's the breakdown.** (https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report); claims resting on it are from its summary — you may be able to reach it directly.\n- We did not obtain the full text of **Reclamation acts to protect Colorado River system during historic drought** (https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/17/reclamation-acts-to-protect-colorado-river-system-during-historic-drought); claims resting on it are from its summary — you may be able to reach it directly.\n- We did not obtain the full text of **Lake Powell Has 27 Feet Of Margin, Lake Mead Has 88** (https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/lake-powell-has-27-feet-of-margin-lake-mead-has-88.html); claims resting on it are from its summary — you may be able to reach it directly.\n- Figures we could not match to our stored evidence — worth confirming against the source (which may state them exactly), and note live sources move: 92%, 20%, 83%, 59%.","claims":[{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_bb5fb0000e","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-19","publisher":"Newsweek","title":"Satellite Images Show How Lake Powell Has Drained to Record Low in 9 Years","url":"https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270"},{"published_at":"2026-03-02","publisher":"Deseret News","title":"What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion?","url":"https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation"}],"text":"Lake Powell is the second-largest reservoir in the United States, located on the Colorado River at the Utah-Arizona border and formed by Glen Canyon Dam."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_a1947fbe55","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-19","publisher":"Newsweek","title":"Satellite Images Show How Lake Powell Has Drained to Record Low in 9 Years","url":"https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270"}],"text":"Lake Powell fell to its lowest level on record in late August to early September 2026."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_d7fe7e34e1","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-19","publisher":"Newsweek","title":"Satellite Images Show How Lake Powell Has Drained to Record Low in 9 Years","url":"https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270"}],"text":"On September 10, 2026, Lake Powell's water surface stood at 3,517.24 feet elevation as captured by Landsat 8 OLI imagery."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_b97c267934","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"}],"text":"The previous record low for Lake Powell was 3,519.92 feet set on April 13, 2023; the reservoir fell below that level about a month before September 10, 2026, first reaching a new record low on August 15, 2026."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_2bceae2853","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-19","publisher":"Newsweek","title":"Satellite Images Show How Lake Powell Has Drained to Record Low in 9 Years","url":"https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270"}],"text":"Lake Mead, the largest U.S. reservoir downstream on the Colorado River, also reached record-low levels in August 2026."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_08c7507da7","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"}],"text":"At end of August 2026, Lake Powell storage was about 5.14 million acre-feet, about 22% of live capacity, approximately 183 feet below full pool (3,700 feet)."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_bd24bacf66","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-04-09","publisher":"Drought.gov / NIDIS","title":"Snow Drought Current Conditions and Impacts in the West | April 9, 2026","url":"https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09"}],"text":"The primary driver was an exceptionally dry and warm winter 2025-2026 producing a snow drought in the Upper Colorado Basin, with far less snowmelt than normal feeding the Colorado River."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_c641970f12","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-04-09","publisher":"Drought.gov / NIDIS","title":"Snow Drought Current Conditions and Impacts in the West | April 9, 2026","url":"https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09"}],"text":"On April 1, 2026, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming set new record-low snow water equivalent values since SNOTEL monitoring began in the 1980s; the Colorado River Basin experienced its warmest March on record at 13.7°F above normal."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_737855a09f","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-04-09","publisher":"Drought.gov / NIDIS","title":"Snow Drought Current Conditions and Impacts in the West | April 9, 2026","url":"https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09"}],"text":"A majority of Colorado River Basin streamflow forecast points were forecast to produce less than 30% of average runoff in spring-summer 2026; peak snow water equivalent occurred 21-34 days earlier than normal across Western states."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_4b37dce4ad","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"}],"text":"Water year 2026 unregulated inflow to Lake Powell was forecast at 3.52 million acre-feet, 37% of average, among the lowest on record; August 2026 inflow was 1,000 acre-feet (0% of average)."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_695bc0ff4c","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"}],"text":"The Southwest has experienced a megadrought since around 2000; the period 2000-2022 was the lowest 23-year inflow period since Glen Canyon Dam filling began in 1963, averaging 8.29 million acre-feet (93% of 1991-2020 average of 9.60 maf)."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_f3f7b7c616","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-04-17","publisher":"Maven's Notebook","title":"Reclamation acts to protect Colorado River system during historic drought","url":"https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/17/reclamation-acts-to-protect-colorado-river-system-during-historic-drought"},{"published_at":"2026-03-02","publisher":"Deseret News","title":"What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion?","url":"https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation"}],"text":"In April 2026 the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began emergency measures to keep Lake Powell above hydropower thresholds, including releasing 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet from Flaming Gorge Reservoir (northern Utah/southern Wyoming) through April 2027 and reducing annual releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead from 7.48 to 6.0 million acre-feet through September 2026."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_3b5ffdc91d","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-03-02","publisher":"Deseret News","title":"What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion?","url":"https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation"},{"published_at":"2026-04-17","publisher":"Maven's Notebook","title":"Reclamation acts to protect Colorado River system during historic drought","url":"https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/17/reclamation-acts-to-protect-colorado-river-system-during-historic-drought"}],"text":"Without intervention, USBR projected Lake Powell could fall below the 3,490-foot minimum power pool elevation by August 2026, at which Glen Canyon Dam's hydroelectric turbines can no longer generate effectively; dead pool where water cannot pass the dam is about 3,370 feet."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"likely","id":"clm_351f337264","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-21","publisher":"WorldAtlas","title":"Lake Powell Has 27 Feet Of Margin, Lake Mead Has 88","url":"https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/lake-powell-has-27-feet-of-margin-lake-mead-has-88.html"}],"text":"As of September 2026, Lake Powell remained about 27 feet above minimum power pool (3,517 vs 3,490 feet) and about 147 feet above dead pool."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_74031321be","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-03-02","publisher":"Deseret News","title":"What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion?","url":"https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation"}],"text":"Glen Canyon Dam has installed nameplate capacity of 1,320 megawatts (eight turbines), enough to power about 1 million homes; every foot of decline loses about 3 MW of capacity, and generation has fallen ~17% from 4,600 GWh/year pre-drought to ~3,800 GWh/year 2000-2020."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_71e5d28538","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"}],"text":"The Colorado River system provides water and electricity to more than 40 million people (including Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego) and water to about 5 million acres of farmland."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_544af92871","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"},{"published_at":"2026-07-31","publisher":"The Colorado Sun","title":"What's happening with the Colorado River? Here's the breakdown.","url":"https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report"}],"text":"Total Colorado River Basin system storage at beginning of water year 2026 was 21.8 million acre-feet, 37% of 58.48 million acre-feet total capacity, down 3.35 million acre-feet from the prior year; combined Lake Powell and Lake Mead storage hit a historic low of about 12.7 million acre-feet in mid-July 2026."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_9598973226","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-05-16","publisher":"CleanTechnica","title":"US Plan To Allocate Water From The Colorado River Will Severely Impact California, Arizona, & Nevada","url":"https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/16/us-plan-to-allocate-water-from-the-colorado-river-will-severely-impact-california-arizona-nevada"}],"text":"Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, 7.5 million acre-feet was allocated each to the Upper Basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico) and Lower Basin (Arizona, California, Nevada), plus 1.5 million acre-feet to Mexico; the 1968 authorization of the Central Arizona Project gave Arizona the lowest priority within the Lower Basin."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_326f1d52fb","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-05-16","publisher":"CleanTechnica","title":"US Plan To Allocate Water From The Colorado River Will Severely Impact California, Arizona, & Nevada","url":"https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/16/us-plan-to-allocate-water-from-the-colorado-river-will-severely-impact-california-arizona-nevada"}],"text":"Under existing 'law of the river' priority, California holds the highest priority among Lower Basin states, so mandatory cuts fall most heavily on Arizona, particularly Central Arizona Project users (336-mile canal serving Phoenix/Tucson), where tribes have highest priority within CAP, followed by cities, with non-tribal agriculture lowest priority."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"likely","id":"clm_15784bffad","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-05-16","publisher":"CleanTechnica","title":"US Plan To Allocate Water From The Colorado River Will Severely Impact California, Arizona, & Nevada","url":"https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/16/us-plan-to-allocate-water-from-the-colorado-river-will-severely-impact-california-arizona-nevada"}],"text":"Federal planning in 2026 contemplated cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet per year to Lower Basin deliveries under a 10-year framework reassessed every two years; a Lower Basin states voluntary proposal offered 1.25 million acre-feet per year for two years (Arizona 760,000, California 440,000, Nevada 50,000)."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_1a570fa7f3","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-19","publisher":"Newsweek","title":"Satellite Images Show How Lake Powell Has Drained to Record Low in 9 Years","url":"https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270"}],"text":"USBR's September 2026 'most probable' 24-Month Study projected that with 6.0 million acre-feet released from Powell in water year 2027, Lake Powell could rise to 3,558.44 feet by June 2028 while Lake Mead could fall to 998.40 feet in August 2028."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_74f3f7607a","salience":"low","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"}],"text":"USBR also canceled an April 2026 controlled flood for sandbar/fish habitat and skipped an August 'cool mix' release to protect native species as part of Powell stabilization."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_16a7416bca","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"1922-11-24","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"Colorado River Compact (1922) certified text - Article III","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/pao/pdfiles/crcompct.pdf"},{"published_at":"2023-04-04","publisher":"EveryCRSReport.com","title":"Long-Term Drought and Glen Canyon Dam: Potential Effects on Water Deliveries and Hydropower (R47497)","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R47497.html"}],"text":"Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact Article III(a), 7.5 million acre-feet per annum was apportioned in perpetuity to the Upper Basin and 7.5 million acre-feet per annum to the Lower Basin for exclusive beneficial consumptive use, which shall include all water necessary for the supply of any rights which may now exist."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_ebf01c31e2","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"1922-11-24","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"Colorado River Compact (1922) certified text - Article III","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/pao/pdfiles/crcompct.pdf"},{"published_at":"2018-12-12","publisher":"EveryCRSReport.com","title":"Sharing the Colorado River and the Rio Grande: Cooperation and Conflict with Mexico (R45430) - 1944 Water Treaty Article 10 1.5 maf","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R45430.html"},{"published_at":"2026-09-10","publisher":"IBWC","title":"Treaties Between the U.S. and Mexico - 1944 Water Treaty Utilization of waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande","url":"https://www.ibwc.gov/Treaties_Minutes/treaties.html"}],"text":"Article III(c) of the 1922 Compact provides that if the United States recognizes a right in Mexico to Colorado River waters, such waters shall be supplied first from surplus over the aggregate of 7.5+7.5+1.0 maf, and any deficiency shall be equally borne by Upper and Lower Basins with Upper Division delivering at Lee Ferry one-half the deficiency; the 1944 Water Treaty Article 10 guarantees Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet per year, reduced proportionally only in extraordinary drought or serious accident to the U.S. irrigation system."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_ed1c11b595","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-07-01","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study - Colorado River System Reservoirs","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/studies/24Month_07.pdf"},{"published_at":"2023-04-04","publisher":"EveryCRSReport.com","title":"Long-Term Drought and Glen Canyon Dam: Potential Effects on Water Deliveries and Hydropower (R47497)","url":"https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R47497.html"}],"text":"Congress authorized the Central Arizona Project in the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968 (Pub. L. 90-537, 82 Stat. 885, codified at 43 U.S.C. §§1501-1556); under Law of the River priority, California holds senior Lower Basin rights (4.4 MAF under Boulder Canyon Project Act) while Arizona's CAP is junior and absorbs shortages first, with Lower Basin allocations apportioned as 4.4 MAF California, 2.8 MAF Arizona, 0.3 MAF Nevada."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_ed2786de18","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-21","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"Colorado River Post-2026 Operations - Record of Decision and 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/post2026"},{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"},{"published_at":"2026-07-01","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study - Colorado River System Reservoirs","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/studies/24Month_07.pdf"}],"text":"Department of the Interior / Bureau of Reclamation issued the Record of Decision for the Decision Framework for Colorado River Guidelines: Coordinated Operations of Lake Powell and Lake Mead (2027-2036) and the 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines on August 21, 2026, establishing a 10-year Decision Framework with 2-year operating guidelines intervals; for WY 2026 USBR reduced Lake Powell's annual release from 7.48 maf to 6.00 maf under Section 6.E of the 2024 Interim Guidelines SEIS ROD to avoid declining below 3,500 feet, with Drought Response Operations releasing 660,000 acre-feet to 1.00 maf from Flaming Gorge to Lake Powell by April 2027."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_11cfa4e75e","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-31","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"Lake Mead at Hoover Dam, End of Month Elevation (Feet) - Lower Colorado River Operations","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html"}],"text":"USBR Lower Colorado Region official end-of-month elevation table shows Lake Mead at Hoover Dam at 1038.83 feet at end of August 2026 (2026: Jan 1065.37, Feb 1066.14, Mar 1062.05, Apr 1056.32, May 1050.00, Jun 1044.58, Jul 1041.10, Aug 1038.83), the lowest value in the 1935-2026 record displayed, below prior lows including July 2022 1041.71 and August 2024 1063.16, confirming Lake Mead also hit record lows in August 2026."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"likely","id":"clm_a5ae349209","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"},{"published_at":"2026-07-01","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation","title":"July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study - Colorado River System Reservoirs","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/studies/24Month_07.pdf"}],"text":"USBR Glen Canyon Dam Water Operations page (Sept 15, 2026) confirms end-August 2026 Powell elevation 3,517.87 feet (22% live capacity, 5.14 maf) and September 2026 24-Month Study projection that Powell will end WY 2026 near 3,514.98 feet; July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study projects continued low Lake Mead elevations under 6.0 maf Powell releases and shortage conditions, but the specific projection of Lake Mead falling to 998.40 feet in August 2028 remains sourced only to secondary Newsweek and was not found in the deep-read July 2026 study."},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"contested","id":"clm_86187142fd","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-18","publisher":"NASA Earth Observatory / NASA Science","title":"Lake Powell Drops to Record-Low Levels","url":"https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels"},{"published_at":"2026-09-22","publisher":"ScienceDaily","title":"One of America's largest reservoirs just hit a record low","url":"https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm"},{"published_at":"2026-08-07","publisher":"AZFamily","title":"Threatened fish left vulnerable as feds protect Lake Powell hydropower","url":"https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/07/threatened-fish-left-vulnerable-feds-protect-lake-powell-hydropower"},{"published_at":"2026-04-17","publisher":"Center for Biological Diversity","title":"Risks to Grand Canyon's Endangered Fish Grow as Colorado River Declines, Invasive Fish Barriers Delayed","url":"https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/risks-to-grand-canyons-endangered-fish-grow-as-colorado-river-declines-invasive-fish-barriers-delayed-2026-04-17"},{"published_at":"2026-04-29","publisher":"Circle of Blue","title":"Glen Canyon Dam Faces Its Existential Moment","url":"https://www.circleofblue.org/2026/supply/glen-canyon-dam-faces-its-existential-moment"}],"text":"USBR canceled April 2026 controlled flood and August 2026 cool-mix release to protect Powell hydropower — decision contested by environmental groups as prioritizing power over humpback chub habitat and invasive bass control"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"contested","id":"clm_21a1f8a7d4","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-15","publisher":"U.S. Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region","title":"Glen Canyon Dam | Water Operations | UC Region | Bureau of Reclamation","url":"https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html"},{"published_at":"2026-04-17","publisher":"Maven's Notebook","title":"Reclamation acts to protect Colorado River system during historic drought","url":"https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/17/reclamation-acts-to-protect-colorado-river-system-during-historic-drought"},{"published_at":"2026-03-02","publisher":"Deseret News","title":"What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion?","url":"https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation"},{"published_at":"2026-09-14","publisher":"Cowboy State Daily","title":"Wyoming, Upper Basin States: Water Taken From Flaming Gorge Should Be Replaced","url":"https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/09/14/lake-powell-crisis-averted-wyoming-wants-water-taken-from-flaming-gorge-replaced"}],"text":"USBR April 2026 emergency measures releasing 660k-1M af from Flaming Gorge and cutting Powell releases to 6.0 maf — Upper Basin officials warn this only delays underlying demand imbalance by 1-2 years and demand full recovery"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_933857f017","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-02-17","publisher":"CBS News","title":"A deal still hasn't been reached between Lower Basin and Upper Basin states on management of Colorado River","url":"https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/lower-basin-rejects-colorado-river-agreement-upper-basin-consensus"}],"text":"Upper Colorado River Commission Feb 14 2026 consensus: Upper Basin states (CO, UT, WY, NM) agreed on durable long-term post-2026 operations, stating Upper Basin users face >2.0 MAF reductions and >40% of proven water rights in 2026 due to natural hydrologic shortage, and that Lower Basin demands seek water that does not exist. Chair Becky Mitchell: 'We're being asked to solve a problem we didn't create with water we don't have. The Upper Division's approach is aligned with hydrologic reality.'"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_831da1c00e","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-03-02","publisher":"Deseret News","title":"What needs to be done to stabilize Lake Powell's depletion?","url":"https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation"},{"published_at":"2026-09-14","publisher":"Cowboy State Daily","title":"Wyoming, Upper Basin States: Water Taken From Flaming Gorge Should Be Replaced","url":"https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/09/14/lake-powell-crisis-averted-wyoming-wants-water-taken-from-flaming-gorge-replaced"}],"text":"Utah Colorado River Commissioner Gene Shawcroft and UCRC Sept 2026: Flaming Gorge DROA releases (~1 MAF through April 2027, reservoir ~70% full down 38 ft) only delay crisis by 1-2 years without Lower Basin demand cuts; storage is essentially gone, Blue Mesa barely above power pool with senior 1860s rights facing curtailment, and Utah will insist every drop be fully recovered when hydrology improves"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_03edf7ee47","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-03","publisher":"Tucson.com","title":"Gila River Indian Community blasts federal Colorado River cutback plan","url":"https://tucson.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_65938492-1bcf-4ebe-8acc-1d078e9d66f2.html"},{"published_at":"2026-08-24","publisher":"ICT","title":"Tribes push back on federal plan for Colorado River water cuts","url":"https://ictnews.org/news/tribes-push-back-on-federal-plan-for-colorado-river-water-cuts"}],"text":"Gila River Indian Community (largest CAP holder, ~121k af leased/exchanged) stated federal 2027-2028 guidelines deviate from Law of the River and fail trust responsibility, will challenge cuts 'in every forum available' if final guidelines do not meet reasonable expectations, while seeking negotiated interim path and federal offset funding"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_39de22a9ed","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-24","publisher":"ICT","title":"Tribes push back on federal plan for Colorado River water cuts","url":"https://ictnews.org/news/tribes-push-back-on-federal-plan-for-colorado-river-water-cuts"}],"text":"Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), holding >23% of Arizona's Colorado River allocation with most senior rights, stated limited role in federal process does not reflect extent of rights; Attorney General Rebecca Loudbear wrote limited role does not reflect nature of rights, but as long as law is followed senior rights will be protected"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_677e6d9970","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-04","publisher":"KNAU","title":"New Colorado River plan causes concern and uncertainty for some tribal nations in Arizona","url":"https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2026-08-04/new-colorado-river-plan-causes-concern-and-uncertainty-for-some-tribal-nations-in-arizona"}],"text":"Other tribal perspectives: Navajo Nation delegate Brenda Jesus noted exclusion from 1922 Compact and unquantified Arizona rights with settlement for Navajo/Hopi/San Juan Southern Paiute blocked in Congress by Upper Basin states (CO, UT, WY, NM); White Mountain Apache Tribe (52k af settlement, 25k af CAP) warned CAP cuts would impact its allocation; scholar Heather Tanana noted federal trust responsibility may support tribal protection claims with litigation risk"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_eec785e939","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-09-09","publisher":"International Boundary and Water Commission","title":"United States and Mexico announce Colorado River cooperative agreement (Minute 334)","url":"https://www.ibwc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/US-and-Mexico-announce-Colorado-River-cooperative-agreement.pdf"},{"published_at":"2026-09-09","publisher":"Colorado Sun","title":"US strikes Colorado River deal with Mexico","url":"https://coloradosun.com/2026/09/09/united-states-mexico-colorado-river-deal"}],"text":"Mexico via IBWC Minute 334 signed Sept 2 2026 El Paso (valid through Dec 31 2028, replacing Minutes 323/330) agreed to 250,000 af/year cut in 2027-2028 (~17% of 1.5 maf 1944 Treaty allocation, proportional to 1.25 maf Lower Basin US cuts), with consultation on additional 2028 cuts if forecasts worsen, potential increases if Lake Mead reaches 1,125 ft, continuation of Mexico's Water Reserve up to 1.5 maf, Salinity Pilot Program, and Binational Environmental Work Group with $5.6M for delta habitat; Commissioners Chad McIntosh and Adriana Reséndez emphasized proportionality/parity"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"confirmed","id":"clm_1b37cd0ba9","salience":"high","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-07","publisher":"AZFamily","title":"Threatened fish left vulnerable as feds protect Lake Powell hydropower","url":"https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/07/threatened-fish-left-vulnerable-feds-protect-lake-powell-hydropower"},{"published_at":"2026-04-17","publisher":"Center for Biological Diversity","title":"Risks to Grand Canyon's Endangered Fish Grow as Colorado River Declines, Invasive Fish Barriers Delayed","url":"https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/risks-to-grand-canyons-endangered-fish-grow-as-colorado-river-declines-invasive-fish-barriers-delayed-2026-04-17"},{"published_at":"2026-04-29","publisher":"Circle of Blue","title":"Glen Canyon Dam Faces Its Existential Moment","url":"https://www.circleofblue.org/2026/supply/glen-canyon-dam-faces-its-existential-moment"}],"text":"Environmental groups oppose canceled habitat releases: American Rivers (Matt Rice) said cool-mix flows are 'most effective way to mitigate smallmouth bass invasion' and cancellation risks 'death sentence to humpback chub'; Center for Biological Diversity warned Powell below 3,530 ft increases bass passage, cool-mix (cold water at 3,374 ft vs warm penstocks at 3,470 ft) prevented spawning in 2024-2025, and without barriers temps in upper 70s could trigger explosive invasive growth; Glen Canyon Institute (Eric Balken) called 2026 'most predicted disaster of all time' and criticized failure to assess dam retrofits in EIS"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"likely","id":"clm_ea498b9fd3","salience":"medium","sources":[{"published_at":"2026-08-07","publisher":"AZFamily","title":"Threatened fish left vulnerable as feds protect Lake Powell hydropower","url":"https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/07/threatened-fish-left-vulnerable-feds-protect-lake-powell-hydropower"},{"published_at":"2026-04-17","publisher":"Center for Biological Diversity","title":"Risks to Grand Canyon's Endangered Fish Grow as Colorado River Declines, Invasive Fish Barriers Delayed","url":"https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/risks-to-grand-canyons-endangered-fish-grow-as-colorado-river-declines-invasive-fish-barriers-delayed-2026-04-17"}],"text":"Hydropower customers support prioritizing power pool: Colorado River Energy Distributors Association (155 customers) called cool-mix cancellation 'right call' to avoid millions in replacement power costs; Reclamation cited 'significant hydropower generation concerns under already strained system conditions' and will focus on removal actions and structural solutions instead"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_4a8bd5ea46","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 1999-10-31, elevation_ft 3688.57, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_12d9414477","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 1999-11-30, elevation_ft 3684.82, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_3a558c7274","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 1999-12-31, elevation_ft 3681.27, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_27647de752","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-01-31, elevation_ft 3679.17, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_a28743601b","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-02-29, elevation_ft 3677.86, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_d0240ca4b2","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-03-31, elevation_ft 3676.96, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_f25420ff93","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-04-30, elevation_ft 3675.95, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_41e73cbabb","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-05-31, elevation_ft 3678.53, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_55b76d5e0d","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-06-30, elevation_ft 3683.4, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_2931d7f9ca","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-07-31, elevation_ft 3682.12, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_63103e8716","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-08-31, elevation_ft 3680.32, status observed monthly end"},{"contradicted_by":[],"grade":"unconfirmed","id":"clm_an_f244ed4c99","salience":"low","sources":[{"title":"sourced for a figure","url":"https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"}],"text":"Lake Powell is 27 feet above losing hydropower — after a 25-year fall: date 2000-09-30, elevation_ft 3677.8, status observed monthly end"}],"sources":["https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/lake-powell-drops-to-record-low-levels","https://www.newsweek.com/satellite-images-show-how-lake-powell-has-drained-to-record-low-in-9-years-12463270","https://www.deseret.com/utah/2026/03/02/how-to-stabilize-lake-powell-water-elevation","https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm","https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html","https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-04-09","https://mavensnotebook.com/2026/04/17/reclamation-acts-to-protect-colorado-river-system-during-historic-drought","https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/lake-powell-has-27-feet-of-margin-lake-mead-has-88.html","https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report","https://cleantechnica.com/2026/05/16/us-plan-to-allocate-water-from-the-colorado-river-will-severely-impact-california-arizona-nevada","https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/pao/pdfiles/crcompct.pdf","https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R47497.html","https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R45430.html","https://www.ibwc.gov/Treaties_Minutes/treaties.html","https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/studies/24Month_07.pdf","https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/post2026","https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html","https://www.azfamily.com/2026/08/07/threatened-fish-left-vulnerable-feds-protect-lake-powell-hydropower","https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/risks-to-grand-canyons-endangered-fish-grow-as-colorado-river-declines-invasive-fish-barriers-delayed-2026-04-17","https://www.circleofblue.org/2026/supply/glen-canyon-dam-faces-its-existential-moment","https://cowboystatedaily.com/2026/09/14/lake-powell-crisis-averted-wyoming-wants-water-taken-from-flaming-gorge-replaced","https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/lower-basin-rejects-colorado-river-agreement-upper-basin-consensus","https://tucson.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/article_65938492-1bcf-4ebe-8acc-1d078e9d66f2.html","https://ictnews.org/news/tribes-push-back-on-federal-plan-for-colorado-river-water-cuts","https://www.knau.org/knau-and-arizona-news/2026-08-04/new-colorado-river-plan-causes-concern-and-uncertainty-for-some-tribal-nations-in-arizona","https://www.ibwc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/US-and-Mexico-announce-Colorado-River-cooperative-agreement.pdf","https://coloradosun.com/2026/09/09/united-states-mexico-colorado-river-deal","https://data.usbr.gov/rise/api/result/download?after=1999-10-01&before=2026-09-23&itemId=508&type=csv"],"corrections":[],"how_to_cite":"Cite the article URL and the claim id. 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