Colorado River report shows slight gains at key reservoirs

• Lake Mead’s elevation rose slightly to 1,073.38 feet.
• Lake Powell saw a boost, holding over 9.5 million acre-feet.
• Total Colorado River system storage is now at 47%.
• Water release forecasts remain conservative amid slow recovery.

Monday, May 5, 2025 — The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released its latest 24-month study detailing water levels and projections across the Colorado River Basin. The report offers a snapshot of current conditions and future expectations for critical reservoirs that serve millions of people across the West.

Lake Mead Inches Upward.

Lake Mead, which supplies water to Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico, showed a modest increase. As of May 1, its surface elevation measured 1,073.38 feet, up from 1,072.71 feet the previous month. Despite this rise, the reservoir remains significantly below full pool, which is 1,229 feet.

Lake Mead now holds 9.58 million acre-feet of water—about 37% of capacity. The forecast anticipates that levels will hover around this range through the summer months, with no dramatic gains or losses expected.

Lake Powell Sees Increased Storage.

Lake Powell, another critical reservoir upstream of Mead, currently holds 9.58 million acre-feet as well—roughly 40% of total capacity. The report attributes this to runoff from recent snowmelt and controlled releases from tributaries. The projected inflow for May stands at 1.15 million acre-feet, lower than average but still helpful to system-wide storage.

Releases from Glen Canyon Dam into Lake Mead are projected to remain steady at 8.23 million acre-feet for the year. This release pattern was set under existing drought response agreements.

Basin-Wide Storage Levels Show Slow Recovery.

Overall, the Colorado River system—which includes Lakes Powell and Mead, along with other key reservoirs such as Flaming Gorge, Navajo, and Blue Mesa—is 47% full as of early May. This is an improvement from recent years but remains far below historical norms.

Storage volumes across the basin were measured at 28.3 million acre-feet, compared to 59.6 million acre-feet when the system is full. The slow rebound emphasizes the long-term effects of drought and overallocation in the basin.

Outlook for 2025 Remains Cautious.

The Bureau’s forecast continues to reflect a cautious outlook. While short-term gains are evident in reservoir levels, projections show little change through the rest of the water year. Precipitation and runoff remain unpredictable, and planners are keeping release volumes conservative. The Bureau states, “The most probable April 2025 24-Month Study uses inflow forecasts based on observed data and median probabilistic forecasts from the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center.”

These forecasts will be revisited as new hydrologic data become available over the coming months.

Related posts:

Utah moves to block Wall Street from public lands Agencies to secure Rio Grande water amid El Vado Dam repairs Arizona seeks teams to bring new water supplies New Mexico Tribal water rights bills move forward in Senate