Lake Powell beats forecast by 4 feet as runoff ends; projections show stability at Lake Mead

LAS VEGAS ( KLAS ) — An extra 4 feet of water in Lake Powell is the latest sign of stability this year for Las Vegas and all the people who depend on the Colorado River for water.

Projections released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation show water inflow in June at 103% of normal at Lake Powell, where officials are trying to store enough water to prevent a repeat of low water levels two years ago that threatened power production at Glen Canyon Dam.

That’s more than 300 river miles upstream from Lake Mead, where projections were about the same in July’s 24-month study.

Month-to-month fluctuations in the “Most Probable Inflow” data show Lake Mead — where the lake’s surface is currently at 1,062.43 feet above sea level — dropping about 2½ feet by November to 1,059.79 feet. Lake levels are expressed as the elevation of the lake’s surface, not their depth.

Then from November 2024-November 2025, the 24-month study shows Reclamation will try to bolster Lake Powell’s water storage even more. Projections have improved since last month, and they now show Lake Powell about 6½ feet higher in November 2026.

Most of that can be attributed to the 4-foot difference between projections in June that showed Lake Powell reaching 3,581.50 feet, and its actual level reported Friday: 3,585.60 feet.

These are seasonal cycles, and the swings at Lake Powell are typically more dramatic than at Lake Mead. Lake Powell is the second-largest reservoir in the U.S., and Lake Mead is the largest. In the late spring and early summer, Lake Powell receives runoff from the melting snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Lake Mead is controlled by whatever Reclamation releases down the Colorado River from Lake Powell.

The “ Law of the River ” — a century-old agreement — guides how much Reclamation must release.

Current levels: Lake Mead, 1,062.43 feet

Current levels: Lake Powell, 3,587.05 feet

Lake Mead will reach its high in 2025 at 1,065.83 feet in February 2025, and drop to a low of 1052.36 feet in July 2025. That drop, about 13½ feet, is about what boaters and marina operators at Lake Mead had to deal with this year.

Lake Powell, currently at 3,587.05 feet, will see a 30-foot fluctuation from its lowest level (3,566.42 feet) in March 2025 to its highest level (3,596.38 feet) in July 2025.

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