Landsat shows Lake Powell still sitting at a record-low water level
NASA Earth Observatory paired 2017 and 2026 Landsat views showing Lake Powell at 3,517.24 feet on 10 September 2026, below the April 2023 record. International Business Times echoed NASA's elevations while noting Upper Basin snow drought and Bureau of Reclamation releases.
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3517.24 feet in September
NASA Earth Observatory's 18 September image of the day compares Landsat 8 views above Glen Canyon Dam from 1 September 2017 and 10 September 2026. In the 2026 frame the water stood at 3,517.24 feet after dipping below the prior record low of 3,519.92 feet set on 13 April 2023. International Business Times repeats those two elevations and dates while summarising NASA's side-by-side release. The lake first touched a record low on 15 August 2026 and kept falling into early September, NASA says.[1], [2]
Snow drought upstream
NASA ties the low pool to a meager mountain snowpack across the Upper Colorado Basin in winter 2025–2026 and stretches of record warmth that left little spring melt to refill Powell. The 2017 frame is one of the highest levels of the past decade, which makes the tan bathtub ring in 2026 easier to read. International Business Times also notes Mead hit record lows in August 2026 and that the river supplies more than 40 million people and about 5 million acres of farmland. That population and acreage line sits in NASA's caption as context, not a new census.[1], [2]
Reclamation levers
NASA lists April 2026 Bureau of Reclamation steps: releases from Flaming Gorge Reservoir into Powell, reduced Powell deliveries toward Lake Mead, a canceled April controlled flood for sandbars, and no August cool-mix release for native fish. International Business Times mentions lowering annual Powell-to-Mead transfers toward 6 million acre-feet through September 2026. NASA adds Powell remained above the 3,490-foot minimum power-pool elevation where Glen Canyon turbines lose effective generation. Alternative explanation: emergency releases could temporarily flatten the curve without restoring long-term inflow.[1], [2]
