… Data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation shows that the water elevation at Lake Mead’s Hoover Dam was 1,062.24 feet at the end of December. That’s the lowest it’s been during this time of the year since 2022, when it was 1,044.82 feet. Before that, levels were the lowest in 1936, when the region experienced a severe drought. Lake Mead stored 8.59 million acre-feet of water on Dec. 31, according to USBR data. The lake can store about 26 million acre-feet of water, meaning it was only about 33% full at the end of the year. 

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• FOX13 (Salt Lake City, Utah): Lake Powell drops 36 feet in one year as water crisis deepens
• Nevada Current: Tribes stake their claim on the Colorado River, and help conserve it
• Aspen Public Radio (Colo.): Drought conditions on the Colorado River are getting worse because of climate change. How will leaders respond in 2026?
• Mohave Valley Daily News: Arizona bill would add $1 million to Colorado River legal fund as states remain deadlocked
• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Historic Nottingham Ranch above the Colorado River in Bond protected with $10 million conservation easement from GOCO
• KJZZ (Phoenix): Arizona water chiefs reports movement in Colorado River talks, potential Lake Powell protections
• Western FarmPress: Editorial: Farmers face devastating water cuts as Colorado River disappear