Lake Powell

The nation's second-largest reservoir has been shrinking as drought and steady demand strain the Colorado River. Lake Powell water levels are low, but canyons and ecosystems are emerging.

Cuts to water use along the Colorado River could be spread evenly across some southwestern states, or follow the more than a century-old priority system that currently governs water management. Those are two alternatives federal officials are considering to keep hydropower generation going at the nation’s largest reservoirs according to a draft plan released Tuesday.

The United Nations recognized World Water Day on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 as an annual effort to emphasize the water crisis — a familiar issue to water leaders in the Western U.S.

Lake Powell is shrinking as climate change and steady demand cause trouble for states that rely on the Colorado River. The Bureau of Reclamation is scrambling to keep hydropower generators running in Glen Canyon Dam.

A summer deadline approaches for state leaders to agree on how to cut their water use from the Colorado River.

The water has made development possible and is used for farms, homes and businesses. Meanwhile, recreation has risen to over 4 million annual visitors in…