Colorado River status — August 6, 2026

The Colorado River system is in a critical and deteriorating condition. Total reservoir storage is about 18.9 million acre-feet, or 32% of capacity, down from 22.7 million acre-feet—39%—at the same time last year. ^[1]

Indicator	Current condition
Lake Powell	5.38 million acre-feet, 23% full, elevation 3,522 ft
Lake Mead	7.04 million acre-feet, 27% full, elevation 1,040.96 ft
Combined Powell–Mead storage	About 12.4 million acre-feet, near a historic low
2026 Lake Powell inflow forecast	About 3.5 million acre-feet, only 36% of normal
April–July inflow	About 17% of normal

The most immediate concern is Lake Powell: its elevation is approaching the level at which Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower generation becomes unreliable. Federal projections indicate that hydropower could potentially cease by early 2027 if levels continue to fall. Lake Mead remains above its 950-foot hydropower threshold, but is also close to record-low levels. ^[2][1]

Why conditions are so poor

The system is being squeezed by three factors:

• A persistently warmer, drier climate has reduced runoff and river flows.
• The 2025–26 winter produced exceptionally weak snowpack and runoff.
• Basin-wide water use remains higher than the river’s long-term reliable supply.

This means the problem is not simply a short-term drought. The reservoirs are being drawn down because the system has been operating with a structural supply-demand deficit for years. ^[2]

Water-management situation

The seven basin states failed to reach agreement on replacement rules for the post-2026 period. The federal framework now being developed would:

• Require major reductions in use by Arizona, California, and Nevada, potentially up to 3 million acre-feet under severe conditions.
• Seek up to 200,000 acre-feet of voluntary conservation from Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
• Manage the system through a 10-year framework, with important operating decisions revisited every two years.

The framework is therefore an emergency-management structure rather than a durable settlement. Legal disputes—particularly over whether Upper Basin states must contribute to mandatory reductions—remain possible. ^[2]

Bottom line

The Colorado River is still delivering water, but its safety margin is extremely thin. Current conditions point toward continuing record-low reservoir storage, reduced hydropower reliability, stronger conservation requirements, and intensifying conflict over who must reduce use—especially if the next winter’s snowpack is also poor.

⁂

• https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/weekly.pdf  
• https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report/   
• https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45546 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River 
• https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/ 
• https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/22/climate/lake-mead-powell-record-low-water-colorado-river-drought 
• https://www.audubon.org/news/colorado-river-remains-crisis-continued-uncertainty-water-supply-and-operations 
• https://coloradorivermonitor.com/ 
• https://coriverstorage.com/ 
• https://www.cap-az.com/colorado-river-conditions-dashboard/ 
• https://www.ppic.org/publication/the-colorado-river/ 
• https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/3/800079010/community/colorado-river-blues-decades-of-warnings-sparked-no-serious-response-now-a-megadrought-and-the-climate-crisis-are-forcing-gigantic-water-cuts/ 
• https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/31/colorado-river-breakdown-management-plan-federal-report/ 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-river-plan-spares-upper-basin-states-mandatory-cuts/ 
• https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/07/29/colorado-river-negotiations-three/ 
• https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-drought-reclamation-interior-arizona-california-8a5e69b34135be73224532c54d581e8a 
• https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevadas-expected-to-lose-a-quarter-of-its-colorado-river-water-what-happens-next 
• https://www.fox13now.com/news/colorado-river-collaborative/poll-says-overwhelming-majority-worries-about-the-colorado-river 
• https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/arizona-reacts-to-colorado-river-water-cuts-proposal/75-15bfb4a1-45cf-4647-acbf-00099bca0c97 
• https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/3/800079010/community/colorado-river-blues-decades-of-warnings-sparked-no-serious-response-now-a-megadrought-and-the-climate-crisis-are-forcing-gigantic-water-cuts/ 
• https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-river-plan-spares-upper-basin-states-mandatory-cuts/ 
• https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2026/07/29/colorado-river-negotiations-three/ 
• https://apnews.com/article/colorado-river-drought-reclamation-interior-arizona-california-8a5e69b34135be73224532c54d581e8a 
• https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/nevadas-expected-to-lose-a-quarter-of-its-colorado-river-water-what-happens-next 
• https://www.fox13now.com/news/colorado-river-collaborative/poll-says-overwhelming-majority-worries-about-the-colorado-river 
• https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/arizona-reacts-to-colorado-river-water-cuts-proposal/75-15bfb4a1-45cf-4647-acbf-00099bca0c97 

Latest on Sunterra Markets

Latest update

As of August 6, 2026, Sunterra remains under court-supervised CCAA restructuring, with most of its Alberta grocery, meat-processing, and agricultural businesses being marketed for sale or new investment. Phase one received confidential, non-binding letters of intent; the process has now moved toward binding bids. A recapitalization by the Price family remains possible.^[1]

Major developments

• An Alberta court found Sunterra liable to U.S. lender Compeer Financial for about $35 million in a cheque-kiting case.^[1]
• Sunterra has lost its appeal of that ruling, according to The Western Producer’s latest Sunterra coverage.^[2]
• Sunterra’s downtown Edmonton Commerce Place market closed on May 29, 2026, after more than 30 years. The South Edmonton/Lendrum operation and catering services were reported to be continuing.^[3]
• The company’s U.S. pork-related assets were previously sold to Tyson Foods, while the Canadian operations continue through restructuring.^[2]

Bottom line: Sunterra has not disappeared, but it is being substantially reorganized. The immediate question is whether binding bids or refinancing will preserve some or all of the remaining Canadian businesses.

⁂

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-compeer-financial-sale-9.7296199  
• https://www.producer.com/tag/sunterra-group/  
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/downtown-grocer-closes-after-3-decades-amid-series-of-legal-financial-troubles/ 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdFD2dHV1SA 
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-takes-steps-toward-creditor-protection-while-u-s-subsidiaries-face-legal-scrutiny-1.7506126 
• https://globalnews.ca/news/11113038/sunterra-bankruptcy-protection/ 
• https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2025/04/03/alberta-sunterra-bankruptcy/ 
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/1494616411044609/posts/2329799130859662/ 
• https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/daily/alberta-based-sunterra-companies-in-financial-legal-trouble/ 
• https://insolvencyinsider.ca/p/sunterra-food-corporation-ccaa 

The Anointed One (by his own reckoning)

Message from Charles Aulds

June 2016 was the 498th consecutive month with temperatures at least slightly above the 20th century average. The last month with a temperature below the 20th century average was February 1985. Every month since has been warmer than the 20th century average — every single one.

The last time global land and ocean temperatures were below average for the month of June was in 1976.

The climate we grew up with is gone for good.

Scientists work independently, by intent, so that whenever independent researchers, or independent research teams, get the same results, this increases the confidence that the science is good. When it comes to the global temperatures, there are 4 main groups: NASA's GISS, NOAA, the Japan Meteorological Agency, and the UK Meteorological Office/Hadley Center outside of London. All four of these groups agree very closely. That is why there is such a high degree of confidence in the scientific consensus that has been reached on global warming. There is very little doubt. Indeed, doubt among climate scientists is nearly nonexistent.

That scientific consensus is based on a vast body of irrefutable data, millions of data points.

There is no serious debate on the question (and that includes the statement that the causes of global warming are the activities of man) among scientists who are cognizant of the facts. And there are no national or major scientific institutions anywhere in the world that dispute the theory of anthropogenic climate change. Not a single one, anywhere on the planet.

___

Charles

History of Gulf of St. Lawrence and current conditions

A bathymetric map like this helps show why the gulf’s deep channels and banks matter so much for currents, ice, and fisheries.The Gulf of St. Lawrence is a large inland sea off eastern Canada, shaped by the St. Lawrence River and opened to the Atlantic through the Strait of Belle Isle and Cabot Strait. Its history stretches from Indigenous seasonal use, to European exploration in the 1500s, to its later role as a major shipping, fishing, and ecological corridor.^[1][2]

History

Before European contact, Indigenous peoples such as the Mi'kmaq used the gulf seasonally for fishing, and Inuit communities lived along the north shore. Jacques Cartier explored the gulf in 1534, though Basque fishermen likely visited earlier. Over time, the gulf became central to trade and transportation, linking the St. Lawrence River system to the Atlantic and supporting major fisheries.^[1][2]

Geography

The gulf is roughly triangular and bordered by Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. It receives large freshwater input from the St. Lawrence River, while Atlantic water flows in through Cabot Strait to balance circulation. Its shape and deep channels make it an important marine passage and a distinctive estuarine environment.^[1][3]

Current conditions

Recent live model estimates put the gulf’s central waters around 14°C, with waves near 2.3 m and a surface current around 1.7 km/h NNE. In winter, the gulf often develops extensive sea ice, and Environment Canada’s forecasts show that ice can cover large portions of the region, especially along coasts and in straits. NASA also notes that winter 2024–2025 had unusually low ice compared with typical seasonal patterns.^[4][5][6][7]

Why it matters

The gulf is both an ecological hotspot and an economic route, supporting fisheries, whale habitat, and shipping. Ice and storms can make navigation hazardous in colder months, while warmer or low-ice seasons can change marine access and ecosystem conditions.^[1][7]

A bathymetric map like this helps show why the gulf’s deep channels and banks matter so much for currents, ice, and fisheries.

⁂

• https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gulf-of-st-lawrence    
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0305748823000622  
• https://www.worldatlas.com/gulfs/gulf-of-st-lawrence.html 
• https://liveearthviewer.com/ocean/seas/gulf-of-st-lawrence 
• https://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/getprod.pl?prodid=FICN17CWIS&wrap=1&lang=en 
• https://weather.gc.ca/marine/forecast_e.html?mapID=12&siteID=05807 
• https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/low-ice-in-the-gulf-of-st-lawrence-154064/  
• https://ice-glaces.ec.gc.ca/cgi-bin/getprod.pl?prodid=FICN17CWIS&wrap=1&lang=en&q=1 
• https://niche-canada.org/2023/06/08/ecologies-knowledge-and-power-in-the-gulf-of-st-lawrence-region-c-1500-present/ 
• https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/e99-030 
• http://parkscanadahistory.com/geology/paper-53.pdf 
• https://e-navigation.canada.ca/topics/ice/central/charts?carte=WIS28C 
• https://icelogistics.info/ice-charts?iceChartProductId=2216 
• https://iceweb1.cis.ec.gc.ca/IceGraphJ/page1.xhtml?lang=en 
• https://www.eldoradoweather.com/canada/CanadaAlerts/marine/Ice Charts/gulf-of-st-lawrence.php 
• https://weather.gc.ca/marine/marine_bulletins_e.html?Bulletin=ficn17.cwis 
• https://www.buoyweather.com/forecast/marine-weather/spot/St+Lawrence/@-21.85,150.025 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_St._Lawrence 
• https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/eccc/en40/En40-386-7-1991-eng.pdf 

Opportunist Exposed

Information on how raspberry plants respond to plastic mulch

Raspberry plants generally respond well to plastic mulch: it suppresses weeds, warms and steadies the soil, conserves moisture, and often boosts early vegetative growth and first-year yield. In spring-planted trials, raspberries grown with plastic mulch had about 34% higher first-year yields than unmulched controls, while late-summer plantings often showed better growth and weed control but not always a yield increase.^[1]

hat the response looks like

Plastic mulch helps raspberries most when establishment is the goal. Studies found stronger vegetative growth, improved weed suppression, and warmer soil conditions, which together support better early plant performance. For summer-planted systems, the main benefit can be cleaner rows and less hand weeding even when yield gains are modest.^[2][1]

Mulch type matters

Polyethylene mulch and soil-biodegradable plastic mulch produced similar horticultural benefits in the studies I found, especially in spring-planted raspberries. Woven plastic mulch can also give comparable growth and yield results, but it is more expensive and may reduce primocane growth.^[1][2]

Pest effects

Plastic mulch may also help with pest management. In fall-bearing raspberry, black, white, and metallic mulches reduced adult spotted-wing drosophila populations by 42–51% and larval populations by 52–72% compared with the grower standard.^[3]Practical tradeoffs

The biggest tradeoffs are cost, removal/disposal, and uncertainty about long-term effects on soilborne disease, roots, and canes. Growers often still choose polyethylene mulch because the horticultural benefits are clear and the economics can work out despite disposal costs.^[2][1]

For an Edmonton garden, the main takeaway is that plastic mulch is most likely to help if you want earlier soil warming and stronger establishment, especially in a cool spring.

⁂

• https://www.growingproduce.com/fruits/plastic-mulches-a-remarkable-thing-when-it-comes-to-growing-raspberries/    
• https://ishs.org/ishs-article/1381_38/   
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10340-021-01456-2 
• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0d1e/1b8b846a0a30a25c30f3a3fa3e3be702a853.pdf 
• https://journals.ashs.org/downloadpdf/view/journals/hortsci/41/1/article-p272.pdf 
• https://www.international-agrophysics.org/pdf-104296-35363?filename=Effects-of-plastic-mulche.pdf 
• https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/2C3B6AA1E4842AE9A903AAFDC902D65C/S1742170522000291a.pdf/risk-and-uncertainty-of-plastic-mulch-adoption-in-raspberry-production-systems.pdf 
• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/bb8e/ef72cfe920805df227a06d68e33588eef42b.pdf 
• https://ouci.dntb.gov.ua/en/works/4wa0xR89/ 
• https://maba.memberclicks.net/assets/2022June/2 Plastic mulch review.pdf