Lake Powell, one of two reservoirs for Colorado River Water in the southwest, has seen water levels drop below 3,525 feet for the first time.
The new low has implications for operations of Glen Canyon Dam and for water deliveries further down the line to the other reservoir, Lake Mead.
This week we speak with Alex Hager, Colorado River and Water in the West reporter for KUNC in northern Colorado. Hager manages a reporting desk for a consortium of western public radio stations. Hager talks about current lake levels, local, state and federal reaction, and the bleak future future for Lake Powell.
Following tour interview, Hager reported
that the seven states in the Colorado River basin are giving their approval to a proposed set of water cutbacks from the federal government.
The plan would reduce flows to Arizona, Nevada and California by 480,000 acre-feet, enough water to supply more than half a million homes for a year.
Even states who would LOSE water as part of this measure signed the plan, underscoring the urgent need to put more water in Lake Powell.
Hager also discusses the recent designation of the Colorado River as the "most endangered river in America."