The Bureau of Reclamation has officially announced plans to prop up Lake Powell through releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The April 17th release states that in order to stabilize the system, Reclamation is moving quickly and initial plans include adding up to about 2.48 million acre feet of water to Lake Powell by moving water from the upstream Flaming Gorge Reservoir and by reducing releases from Lake Powell.
Through the 2019 Drought Response Operating Agreements, Reclamation is intending to release 660,000 acre-feet to 1 million acre feet of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir from April 2026 through April 2027. In addition, Reclamation is intending to reduce the annual release volume from Lake Powell to Lake Mead by 1.48 million acre feet of water through September 2026. Together, these actions are expected to increase Lake Powell’s elevation by approximately 54 feet to at least elevation 3500 feet by April 2027. Flaming Gorge Reservoir now holds about 3.1 million acre feet of water, which is 83% full. These actions are expected to lower the reservoir’s elevation by roughly 35 feet over the next year to approximately 59% of capacity. “As we weigh current conditions and prepare for future operations by working with states, tribal nations and stakeholders,” shares Assistant Secretary Andrea Travnicek, “the Department of the Interior and Reclamation remain fully committed to taking the actions necessary to reduce impacts on water deliveries, safeguard critical infrastructure, and preserve as much operational flexibility as possible.” The 2026 operational challenges come at a time of transition as the existing agreements that guided the operations of the Colorado River for the last two decades are set to expire at the end of the year.
