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Lake Powell Drops Near Turbine Shutdown Threshold

8/18/2026

30 3 Full Breakdown

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Story summary
  • Lake Powell fell to a low of 3,519.91 feet on Saturday, over 20 feet below its 2026 start and 30 feet above the turbine-shutdown threshold.
  • Federal officials warned in April that a major intervention may be required by year-end.
  • The Bureau of Reclamation proposed a 10-year plan that could cut water deliveries to California, Arizona and Nevada.
  • Lake Mead also hit a historic low a week earlier, leaving both reservoirs at seven-decade lows.