On July 12, Lake Powell was 3524.32 feet above sea level, and Lake Mead at 1042.77 ft. The last time combined storage was this small was on May 23, 1957, during construction of Glen Canyon Dam. It was not until March 1963 that the river diversion tunnels at Glen Canyon Dam were closed and Lake Powell began to fill.
After another dry year, it is likely that reasonably accessible storage in Lake Powell & Lake Mead will be mostly depleted, even if consumptive uses and losses are at historic lows, demonstrating the need to adopt significant additional measures to permanently decrease consumptive uses across the entire Basin.
Explores alternative Colorado River water supply and river management strategies to develop new tools and approaches by which the river-ecosystem outcomes of water-supply decisions can be considered. Informal thoughts from John Fleck, journalist, scientist, and thinker. A former science journalist and Professor of Practice in Water Policy and Governance in the University of New Mexico Department of Economics, Fleck is focused on the problems of the Colorado River as an imperiled water source.
A new report "Review of Smallmouth Bass Management in the Colorado River ecosystem" explores potential expansion of the abundance and range of smallmouth bass in the Colorado River ecosystem beyond their present distribution. Information about the Colorado River and its plumbing system, by Jack Schmidt. May 5, 2025.
The Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University is a nexus for innovative research, teaching, and outreach that informs management of the Colorado River and other major rivers of the American Southwest. We undertake critical studies that inform how different parts of the Colorado River and its tributaries can be effectively managed, train future researchers and managers who will be responsible for tomorrow's Colorado River, and provide education and training to stakeholders to support informed and focused decision making. Because the water available to restore the Colorado River ecosystem is increasingly limited, we are especially interested in research and outreach to inform the very difficult decisions about priority locations and actions that provide the best opportunity for significant restoration success.
Gina Gilson
Interim Director
gina.gilson@usu.edu
Jack Schmidt
Senior Research Scientist
jack.schmidt@usu.edu
Data Access
Colorado River Reservoir Storage History (1951-current)
Dr. Gina Gilson is recruiting a PhD or MS student to conduct research related to water policy in the western US, primarily in the Colorado River region. The student will join the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University starting in S...
We invite applications for the Janet Quinney Lawson Endowed Chair in Colorado River Studies, who will also serve as Director of the Center for Colorado River Studies in Utah State’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air and as faculty in...
Ever since the pulse flow of 2014, a binational team of scientists have been monitoring the hydrological, biological and social effects of environmental water deliveries to the Colorado River Delta mandated by Minutes 319 and 323 of the U.S.-Mexico Water ...
