Heavy rains lift Lake Powell level by over a foot, adding 600,000 acre-feet

Heavy precipitation across the Four Corners area last week produced flooding and a notable rise in Lake Powell’s water level, which measured 3,526.1 feet above sea level on Saturday—1.1 feet higher than the previous day and 7.1 feet above the level two weeks earlier. Colorado River Authority of Utah chair Gene Shawcroft said the increase corresponds to about 600,000 acre-feet, roughly double the volume of Jordanelle Reservoir, and could reach a 10-foot gain after Sunday’s readings.

Although the rise is significant for the drought-stricken reservoir, Shawcroft cautioned it does not solve the long-term shortage. Lake Mead, located downstream of Glen Canyon Dam, has risen only 0.06 feet in the same period. The San Juan River, swollen to 152% of its typical October flow, caused evacuations and road closures in Bluff, Montezuma Creek and Aneth on the Navajo Nation, with flood warnings remaining in place.

National Weather Service forecasters expect the excess river water to reach Lake Powell by late Sunday or early Monday, potentially adding further volume. Overall, the water year, which began Oct. 1, gets a modest boost but remains far from the lake’s full-capacity target.