States Engaged in Heated Debates as Water Levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell Continue to Drop

However, as climate change has led to a significant decrease in water reserves in both lakes, the residents of the Lower Basin and Upper Basin states are now fighting a highly complicated legal battle to ensure they have enough water.

Since pioneers first headed West, the Colorado River has been an essential water source for Americans. However, for the first time in history, the river is drying up, and many are worried their homes and businesses will be without water in the very near future.

This led to the creation of Lake Mead and Lake Powell, two lakes that were built to collect the Colorado River water and distribute it efficiently throughout the region.

It’s located on the border of Nevada and Arizona and provides water for all of the Lower Basin States of Arizona, California, and Nevada.

Lake Powell officially began filling in 1963 after the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona was completed. When full, it can hold an unimaginable 26 million acre-feet of water.

For the first time in history, Lake Powell and Lake Mead are experiencing a hefty decrease in water supply. Naturally, residents of both basin areas are extremely worried

They are asking for amendments to the Colorado River Compact, which has been in place for more than a century. However, the Bureau cannot pass both proposals, as they have contradictory plans for the water within the Colorado River.

Additionally, they have postulated that whatever reductions come in the future should be divided evenly between the two basins. 

The three states claim that while their proposal prioritizes the needs of its residents, it also “acknowledges that the best path forward for all users of the Colorado River is one that the seven states can unanimously support.”

The Upper Basin also asked for “operations based on actual conditions—instead of unreliable forecasts” and “efforts to rebuild storage at Lake Powell.” 

It’s important to understand that while the proposals from the Upper and Lower Basins have different plans, the bottom line for both is the same. Without intervention, nearly 40 million people may struggle to have clean water within just a few years.

Of course, there are a plethora of reasons, including poor planning, long-term drought, and increased demand for water among the ever-growing populations of the 7 Basin states. However, there is no doubt that climate change is the number one culprit for the terrifyingly low water reserves. 

According to The Washington Post, over the past twenty years, water levels have dropped significantly due to the extended drought.

Just before, the lakes collectively held close to 48 million acre-feet of water. In 2024, this number dropped to around 13 million acre-feet.

However, James Prairie, the Bureau of Reclamation’s research chief for the Colorado River, claims  the water being used by the basin states has exceeded what’s coming through the river.

“These reservoirs have served us for 23 years, but we’re now pushing them to their limits,” he said.

Extreme weather, such as heat waves, minimum rainfall, increased evaporations, and disappearing glaciers, is affecting the water supply of rivers around the world, including the Colorado River. 

In 2023, the region experienced a good level of snowfall, with around 90% of the normal average falling to cover the landscape. However, only about 60% of the runoff managed to reach the reservoir. In 2021, on average, the same amount of snow fell, yet less than 30% reached the reservoirs.

Due to drier and hotter conditions, much of the snowpack runoff is being soaked up by the soil before it has a chance to drain into the reservoirs.

While several vital ideas have been proposed and even some policies have been put in place, realistically, it will take decades before the Earth sees any real reprieve from the changes.

It will be left to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to devise a plan that can ensure all of the states in the basin region receive an adequate amount of water to support their citizens. 

So, while both the Upper and Lower Basins are hoping the majority of their proposals are approved by the Bureau, it’s probably safe to say that either way, they just want to ensure they will be able to have water running from their taps.

In total, the plan would cost around $1.2 billion and could conserve as much as 3 million acre-feet of water over the next three years, per AP News.

However, it marked the end of an extended stalemate between the states that depend on water from the Colorado River and ultimately gives the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation more time to devise a long-term solution.