The water crisis in the desert southwest is now better described as a dire water emergency.

May 15th, 2026

Lee’s Ferry, Colorado River – Arizona

For years, the megadrought in the desert southwest has been brewing a storm of controversy for the seven states that rely on the Colorado River and the Colorado River Compact, an allocation agreement between the states that has endured since 1922.

The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement that regulates water distribution among seven states in the Southwestern United States. The compact is about the area within the drainage basin of the Colorado River. (Wikipedia.com)

The water crisis has become so serious that the Trump Administration is responding with emergency measures to prevent disaster at the nation’s second largest reservoir, Lake Powell, which straddles Arizona and Utah and which is the first of four reservoirs on the Colorado River that supply water to Arizona, Nevada and California.

Trump administration takes emergency step to sustain key Colorado River reservoir (LA Times via Yahoo.com)

The Bureau of Reclamation recently announced the emergency release of 1.5-million-acre feet of water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Green River at the Utah-Wyoming border, south to Lake Powell on the Colorado river at the Utah-Arizona border. The Green River is a tributary to the Colorado River, and the emergency release will help raise the level of Lake Powell, which straddles the Utah-Arizona border and is currently at 23% capacity.

Lake Powell Chronicle reports that the Upper Basin states remain skeptical

The reaction from the Upper Basin states of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico has been characterized by defensive caution. Negotiators for the northern states reiterated that they are already being “cut by Mother Nature” due to reliance on direct stream flows.

Colorado State Engineer Jason Ullmann noted that the stakes are existential, stressing that the original 1922 Compact was designed to allow every state to develop its fair share. Meanwhile, Wyoming Commissioner Brandon Gebhart clarified that the recent approval of emergency releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir reflected “necessity rather than preference,” warning that such actions cannot be sustained indefinitely.

One of the most troubling signals for Lake Powell’s future lies upstream. This year, the Upper Colorado River Basin experienced the lowest snowpack totals in recorded history. A coalition of more than 70 organizations spanning six states and multiple tribal nations is urging Congress to provide at least $2 billion in new federal funding for mitigation and conservation efforts needed to address the cutbacks.

The emergency release was necessary to maintain the water level at Lake Powell above the turbines that generate electricity for the region. This year’s anticipated annual runoff from the Colorado’s drainage basins is well below normal and the release only buys one year of relief before the turbine thresholds will again be threatened next year. The effort to maintain the water level of Lake Powell will bring consequences, cutting water to farms and cities across the Southwest.

Arizona’s Worst-Case Scenario is now in play.

Feds seek short-term fixes on Colorado River, leaving Arizona in limbo (AzCentral.com)

Federal officials informed the seven states of their new preference late last week, and Arizona’s lead negotiator made it public on Wednesday, May 13, during a meeting of a committee representing the cities, tribes and other water users who meet to develop a unified state position. (AzCentral.com)

On May 1st, the 3 lower states submitted a proposal to the Department of Interior. The proposal can be downloaded here. (.pdf). From the opening paragraph, Arizona officials recognize that decisive action is urgently needed.

The Lower Division States of Arizona, California, and Nevada have again come together to submit
the attached proposal to address the deteriorating hydrologic conditions in the Colorado River
system. With inflow to Lake Powell trending toward record lows and exacerbating the near-term risk
of breaching critical elevations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, quick and decisive action is urgently
required. The Lower Basin proposal provides just that, including 3.2 million acre-feet of savings by
water users across the Lower Basin through 2028, which builds on our conservation record of over
11 million-acre-feet of contributions to the system since 2003. It is an ambitious and far-reaching
plan that benefits the entire Colorado River Basin and requires the continued leadership of the
Department of Interior in partnering with the Lower Basin states to bring its benefits to fruition. We
appreciate the Department’s encouragement and consultation on this proposal, as well as its rapid
consideration.

Post 2026 process and Website

The Department of Interior has been working on a proposal called the Post-2026 process:

https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/post2026/index.html

The Post-2026 process is a multi-year NEPA process that will identify a range of alternatives and determine operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead and other water management actions for potentially decades into the future.

In pitching their new 10-year “framework,” federal officials also informed the states that they intend to at least model the potential effects of a 3 million acre-foot annual reduction to what the three Lower Basin states could pull from Lake Mead. That worst-case scenario would slash 40% from what the century-old Colorado River Compact promised those Lower Basin states, and it could dry up the CAP Canal. (AzCentral.com)

It appears that both the department and the three states have settled on an immediate reduction of approximately 3 million acre-feet per year. The implications of the worst-case scenario would be staggering for Arizona and the Central Arizona Project canal system.

“It would be devastating” says Senior Policy Advisor to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs

“That is alarming,” Patrick Adams, senior water policy adviser to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, told The Arizona Republic. Modeling that amount doesn’t mean the feds would enforce such a huge reduction, he said, but it does put it in play. “It would be devastating,” he said.

Finally, The LA Times is reporting today on the 10-year plan. The news comes after a meeting of officials in Arizona was reported by the Arizona Republic yesterday.

Trump administration readying a plan to impose Colorado River water cuts on Western states (LA Times)

The worst-case cutbacks now under consideration could dry up the Central Arizona Project canal in Arizona. As for Southern California, Los Angeles and the Imperial Valley, the news of a potential cutback of 40% in the state’s Colorado River allocation would be equally devastating to California’s economy. Roadrunner395.com will be covering the news coming from the Colorado River in the weeks and months ahead, starting with on-location reports from Lake Powell, then on to Lake Mead, Mojave and Havasu

Local Report from the Lake Powell Chronicle

The chokepoint at Glen Canyon

While the conservation numbers are large, the physical reality at Glen Canyon Dam remains a primary concern. The dam faces a “chokepoint” scenario if the water level drops below 3,490 feet, the minimum elevation required to generate hydropower. Below this point, water must be sent through river outlet works not designed for long-term use.

Current Status on Lake Powell from the Bureau of Reclamation

Here is the Weekly Hydrologic Update from the Bureau of Reclamation as of 5/10/2026 along with a screenshot of the headline table for Lake Powell and Lake Mead (Bookmark of the week):

The article below shows the satellite imagery from Lake Powell as of 2022 compared to 2017.

Lake Powell Still Shrinking – The Second Largest Reservoir in the US at Lowest Level Ever

For more information on Lake Powell, Glen Canyon Dam, visit: https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html

Summary Table – Lake Mead, Lake Mojave and Lake Havasu:

These figures represent the maximum theoretical storage under full pool conditions. Actual storage varies with seasonal inflows, evaporation, and water use.

The Trump Administration has been busy trying to help California’s farmers: