Lake Powell ‒ the massive Colorado River reservoir that produces power for millions of homes across the West ‒ is the emptiest it has ever been entering the hottest part of the summer. And the worst is still to come. Although the lake’s levels have briefly fallen lower in years past, those low-water levels came in the spring, before melting snow refilled it. This year, that refill never happened. As a result, Lake Powell will next spring fall to “minimum power pool,” according to a newly released federal projection. If the water levels fall below that, the Glen Canyon Dam would stop generating electricity.

Other Colorado River management news:

• National Geographic: A river crisis is unfolding in the American West
• ABC 15 (Phoenix): Cave Creek approves water credit exchange agreement with Peoria
• KJZZ (Phoenix): There’s a new voice joining Colorado River negotiations in their eleventh hour
• Arizona’s Family (Phoenix): Report finds gains in Colorado River Delta, but warns of challenges ahead
• Big Pivots: Blog: What if next year looks like this one?
• National Audubon Society: Blog: As water-sharing negotiations heat up, wildlife habitats along the shrinking Colorado River are at risk