Amid historic drought, low snowpack, and high demand, water levels are so low at Lake Powell, a reservoir in Arizona and Utah, that hydroelectric power generation is threatened (Newsweek, KCL). The minimum power pool elevation, the minimum level of the lake necessary to generate electricity, is 3,490 feet (US Bureau of Reclamation - 2-Year Probabilistic Projections). The outcome will be determined using data as reported by the US Bureau of Reclamation (US Bureau of Reclamation - Upper Colorado Region Historic Data). Select "Reservoir" under "Water Operations: Historic Data," change "SELECT SITE" to "LAKE POWELL," select the range of data you want, and check only "Elevation (feet)" on the left, "Data Table" on the right, and click "Submit." On 1 January 2026, the elevation of Lake Powell was 3,540.17 feet.

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