Lake Mead and Lake Powell hit record lows in US drought

Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the two largest reservoirs in the United States, have fallen to record lows as severe drought strains the Colorado River system in the US West.

Bureau of Reclamation data showed Lake Powell, which lies mostly in Utah, fell on Sunday to 3,519.80 feet, or 1,072.8 meters, above sea level, just below its previous low set in 2023. Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam on the Nevada-Arizona border, fell on Friday to 1,039.70 feet, or 316.9 meters, above sea level.

The Colorado River supplies water for about 40 million people and feeds both reservoirs, which were created by major dams to distribute water through the year and generate electricity. Their water levels are now just above the threshold at which electricity production would be affected.

The seven states that depend on the river have argued for years over how to share its water. A Trump administration plan unveiled at the end of July allows restrictions on California, Arizona and Nevada, requiring them to reduce their combined water use by up to 3.7 billion cubic meters a year until 2036.

The plan does not require major efforts from Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico, the other states that depend on the river. That imbalance is disputed and could lead to legal action, with Arizona having set aside several million dollars for potential lawsuits.