Analysis and news on Lake Powell's water level: drought, runoff forecasts, records, and Powell vs. Mead.https://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.comen-ushttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-minimum-power-poolhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-minimum-power-poolMinimum power pool is 3,490 ft, where Glen Canyon Dam's turbines shut off. What the shutoff costs, who loses power, and how much cushion Lake Powell has left.Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTdroughtlake powellminimum power poolglen canyon damhydropowercolorado riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/largest-reservoirs-in-utahhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/largest-reservoirs-in-utahLake Powell holds three times more water than Utah's next nine reservoirs combined. All 10 ranked by storage capacity, with live Lake Powell level data.Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTcomparisonsutahreservoirslake powellcomparisonshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/largest-man-made-lakes-in-the-ushttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/largest-man-made-lakes-in-the-usLake Mead and Lake Powell are America's two largest man-made lakes by capacity — and its two emptiest. All 10 ranked by full-pool storage, with live data.Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTcomparisonslake powelllake meadreservoirscomparisonshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-factshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-facts21 facts about Lake Powell — its 186-mile length, the 17-year fill, the 1983 spillway scare, the 2,000 archaeological sites beneath it, and its records.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellglen canyon damcolorado riverrecordshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-water-level-recordshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-water-level-recordsLake Powell's seven defining water-level records — the 3,708.34-ft high of 1983, the 3,519.92-ft low of 2023, the 65-foot rebound, and the 17-year fill.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellrecordswater levelsglen canyon damhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/what-is-under-lake-powellhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/what-is-under-lake-powellUnder Lake Powell: Cathedral in the Desert, a 1776 river crossing, the ghost town of Hite, a gold dredge, and some 2,000 archaeological sites — mapped by depth.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellglen canyonhistorywater levelshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-boat-ramps-water-levelhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-boat-ramps-water-levelMost Lake Powell boat ramps are closed to motorized launching at today's low level. Here's the NPS minimum water level each ramp needs, plus which are open.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTwater-levelslake powellboat rampsglen canyon damwater levelhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-much-does-snowpack-raise-lake-powellhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-much-does-snowpack-raise-lake-powellA foot of Lake Powell takes about 57,600 acre-feet of water. Here's how mountain snowpack converts into reservoir elevation, and why 2026 broke the math.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTforecastslake powellsnowpackrunoff forecastcolorado riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/when-was-lake-powell-last-fullhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/when-was-lake-powell-last-fullLake Powell first hit full pool in 1980 and was last essentially full — 99% — in June 1987. The full-pool record, the 1983 high, and whether it refills.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellfull poolrecordscolorado riverglen canyon damhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/colorado-river-reservoirshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/colorado-river-reservoirsThe Colorado River's water sits in a chain of reservoirs, from Powell and Mead to Flaming Gorge. Here's how big each one is and how full the system is now.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTcomparisonscolorado riverlake meadlake powellreservoirsdroughthttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-much-water-is-in-lake-powellhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-much-water-is-in-lake-powellLake Powell holds about 25 million acre-feet at full pool — roughly 8 trillion gallons. Here's its capacity, what an acre-foot means, and how full it is now.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellreservoir capacityacre-feetcolorado riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/glen-canyon-dam-vs-hoover-damhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/glen-canyon-dam-vs-hoover-damHoover Dam is taller at 726 ft and holds back Lake Mead; Glen Canyon Dam has a longer crest and stores Lake Powell for the Upper Basin. Here's how they compare.Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTcomparisonsglen canyon damhoover damlake meadcolorado riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/when-will-lake-powell-reach-dead-poolhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/when-will-lake-powell-reach-dead-poolLake Powell isn't projected to hit dead pool (3,370 ft) anytime soon. The line that matters first is minimum power pool at 3,490 ft, and the forecasts show why.Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTforecastslake powelldead poolminimum power poolforecastcolorado riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-deep-is-lake-powellhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-deep-is-lake-powellLake Powell is about 560 feet deep at Glen Canyon Dam at full pool, and much shallower now. Here's the max depth, the deepest point, and how depth is measured.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellcolorado riverglen canyon damrecordswater levelshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/where-does-lake-powell-get-its-waterhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/where-does-lake-powell-get-its-waterLake Powell gets almost all its water from Rocky Mountain snowmelt, funneled down the Colorado and San Juan rivers through a 112,000-square-mile watershed.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTwater-levelslake powellcolorado riversnowpacksan juan riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-low-is-lake-powellhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/how-low-is-lake-powellLake Powell's lowest level since it filled is 3,519.92 ft (April 13, 2023). See how today compares, why 2026 could break it, and how low the lake can go.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellcolorado riverwater levelsrecordsglen canyon damhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-vs-lake-mead-which-is-worsehttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-vs-lake-mead-which-is-worseBoth Colorado River reservoirs are shrinking. Which is worse off? Powell is closer to losing hydropower; Mead is closer to dead pool, yet holds more water.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTcomparisonslake powelllake meadcolorado riverdead poolhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-water-level-historyhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/lake-powell-water-level-historyLake Powell's water level history — from the 3,708.34-ft high in 1983 to the record low of 3,519.92 ft in 2023 and today. The full timeline, year by year.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTrecordslake powellcolorado riverwater levelsrecordsglen canyon damhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/is-lake-powell-drying-uphttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/is-lake-powell-drying-upLake Powell hit its lowest summer level on record in 2026, but it won't literally dry up. How far it has actually fallen, and what 'drying up' really describes.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTwater-levelslake powelldroughtcolorado riverwater levelshttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/what-is-lake-powell-dead-poolhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/what-is-lake-powell-dead-poolWater can no longer pass through Glen Canyon Dam at elevation 3,370 ft, the threshold called dead pool. How close Lake Powell is, and what breaks if it arrives.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTdroughtlake powelldead poolglen canyon damcolorado riverhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/why-is-lake-powell-so-lowhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/why-is-lake-powell-so-lowLake Powell is low because of a 20-year megadrought and chronic overuse of the Colorado River. Here's how far it has fallen, why, and what would turn it around.Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTwater-levelslake powellcolorado riverdroughtglen canyon damhttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/will-lake-powell-fill-back-uphttps://www.lakepowellwaterlevel.com/blog/will-lake-powell-fill-back-upBig snow years lift Lake Powell fast, but a hotter, drier Colorado River basin keeps taking it back. Why full pool at 3,700 ft is unlikely under current trends.Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTforecastslake powellsnowpackrunoff forecastcolorado river