Utah and other Upper Basin states gave their reluctant support for the federal government to release an unprecedented amount of water from Flaming Gorge to bolster Lake Powell, which could fall below hydropower-generating levels as soon as August, forecasts show. The Upper Colorado River Commission on Tuesday approved a drought response operations agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation that authorizes releasing up to 1 million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge, which straddles the Utah and Wyoming border. … Projections shown during the commission meeting show that even a 1 million acre-feet release from Flaming Gorge will not be enough to prevent Powell from dropping below minimum power pool, or 3,490 feet.

Other Colorado River management news:

• KUNC (Greeley, Colo.): Arizona water department secures law firm for potential Colorado River legal fights
• KJZZ (Phoenix): Colorado River water release is a ‘Band-Aid on a gaping wound’ with negotiations stalled
• FOX13 (Salt Lake City): Utah agrees to massive water release from Flaming Gorge to prop up Colorado River system
• Arizona Public Media: Arizona water cuts loom as Colorado River negotiations put farms at risk
• KTNV (Las Vegas): 20-foot drop: Why more decline is on deck for Lake Mead in 2026
• Grand Junction Sentinel (Colo.): Western Slope soil conservation districts pledge dollars to Shoshone efforts