As of early November 2025, both Lake Mead and Lake Powell remain at critically low levels, continuing the pattern of severe water stress in the Colorado River system.
Lake Mead
Lake Mead's water surface elevation stands at 1,057.53 feet as of November 4, 2025. This is approximately 171 feet below full pool capacity of 1,229 feet. The reservoir is currently holding about 8,250 thousand acre-feet of water, representing roughly 32% of total capacity.mead.uslakes+1
The current level represents a decline of about 7 feet compared to last year at this time. The Bureau of Reclamation projects Lake Mead will end 2025 at approximately 1,056 feet elevation—significantly lower than 2024's year-end level. Looking further ahead, projections indicate the reservoir could potentially reach 1,037 feet by July 2027, which would be Lake Mead's lowest level ever, eclipsing the previous record low of 1,041 feet set in July 2022.sfgate+1
Lake Powell
Lake Powell's elevation is currently at approximately 3,545 feet as of early November 2025. This places the reservoir about 155 feet below full pool capacity of 3,700 feet. The reservoir contains approximately 6,809 thousand acre-feet, representing about 29% of live capacity.powell.uslakes+3
Recent data shows Lake Powell has been relatively stable in late October and early November, with elevation around 3,545 feet and inflows currently outpacing releases. The reservoir received about 162 thousand acre-feet of unregulated inflow in September, which was 47% of average. Early water year 2026 precipitation is running at 149% of normal in the Colorado Basin, though snowpack remains low at about 40% of average.youtubeusbr+1
Operational Status and Implications
Both reservoirs are operating under shortage conditions. Lake Mead will remain in a Tier 1 Shortage condition for 2026, triggering mandatory water supply cutbacks: Arizona must reduce consumption by 512,000 acre-feet (18% of its annual allotment), Nevada by 21,000 acre-feet, and Mexico by 80,000 acre-feet.usbr+1
Lake Powell is operating in the Mid-Elevation Release Tier, with a projected release of 7.48 million acre-feet for water year 2026. The January 1, 2026 elevation is projected to be approximately 3,538 feet—about 48 feet above the minimum power pool elevation of 3,490 feet needed to continue hydropower generation at Glen Canyon Dam.usbr+1
These low levels reflect the ongoing megadrought affecting the Colorado River Basin, which provides water to approximately 40 million people across the southwestern United States. Water year 2025 proved to be one of the driest on record, with Lake Powell's unregulated inflow totaling only 4.7 million acre-feet—about 49% of normal. The reservoirs combined currently hold about 21,917 thousand acre-feet, representing just 37% of total Colorado River system capacity.usatoday+3
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