With a Lake Powell conservation pool nearly guaranteed for the future of Colorado River management, the four Upper Basin states are exploring and refining the ways they could fill it. Conservation by those states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) could be one of the keys to reaching a deal among the seven states that share the Colorado River and an important part of the framework for managing the drought-stricken river after this year. The water saved by the Upper Basin states could be stored in Lake Powell as a means of maintaining higher water levels and as an insurance policy against drastic cuts.

Other Colorado River management news:

• Aspen Public Radio (Colo.): Low snowpack and early melt threaten spring runoff on the Colorado River, raising concerns for Lake Powell
• KSNV (Las Vegas): Lake Mead water levels impacted by March heat records
• FOX10 (Phoenix): Colorado River crisis: How record spring heat impacts Western water sharing
• Queen Creek Tribune (Tempe, Ariz.): Water crisis looming in 2026, experts say
• The Conversation: Blog: Why Colorado River negotiations stalled, and how they could resume with the possibility of agreement
• The Salt Lake Tribune: Opinion: Latinos play a critical role in securing the Colorado River’s future