Climate2 min read
Climate
US's Two Largest Reservoirs Hit Record Lows Amid Western Drought
Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two largest reservoirs in the United States, have fallen to record or near-record lows amid a severe Western drought, according to Bureau of Reclamation data, with both nearing the…
The two largest reservoirs in the United States have fallen to record or near-record lows as a severe drought grips the American West, according to data from the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency that monitors the Colorado River. The new lows highlight the challenges climate change poses for the river, a resource relied on by 40 million people.
Lake Powell, which lies mostly in Utah, fell to 3,519.80 feet (1,072.8 meters) above sea level on Sunday, just below the previous low set in 2023. Lake Mead, formed by the Hoover Dam on the border of Nevada and Arizona, fell to 1,039.70 feet (316.9 meters) above sea level on Friday.
Both reservoirs were created by dams built along the Colorado River to distribute water year-round and generate hydroelectric power. Their water levels are now just above the threshold at which electricity production from the dams would be affected.
Terms explained
The story so far
- Global Drought Already Explains 74% of Wheat Price Swings, Study Finds — and It Could Triple Prices
- AI Mapping Reveals a Hidden Stage of Arctic Freeze, With Climate Implications
- Europe Logs Over 30,000 Excess Summer Deaths Amid Back-to-Back Heat Waves
- MIT Finds a Faster Way to Search for Greener Ammonia Catalysts
- Thawing Arctic Riverbeds Erode Up to 10 Times Faster Than Unfrozen Ground, Study Finds
- What Do Burned Forests Need to Recover in a Warming World? A Boston University Team Is Finding Out
- US's Two Largest Reservoirs Hit Record Lows Amid Western Drought
#drought#Colorado River#climate change#Lake Mead#Lake Powell
Rate this story