Lake Powell hits record low, threatening water and power supply for millions

Millions of residents face potential water supply disruptions and increased electricity costs due to reduced hydroelectric capacity.

Lake Powell, the great reservoir that once symbolized humanity's mastery over the arid American West, has fallen to its lowest recorded level in six decades — a quiet but consequential reckoning with the limits of that ambition. Straddling the Arizona-Utah border, the lake has long served as both lifeline and engine for millions across the Southwest, supplying drinking water and hydroelectric power to a region that built its future around the promise of the Colorado River. Two decades of persistent drought have now drained that promise to a historic low, forcing water managers, utilities, and

Lake Powell hits record low, threatening water and power supply for millions

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