Federal Officials Order Flaming Gorge Drawdown in Wyoming to Protect Lake Powell From Structural Failure
Why It Matters
The federal government’s emergency order to drain hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Wyoming-Utah border will directly affect recreation, water access, and regional energy production across the Mountain West. The move underscores the growing strain on the Colorado River system, which supplies water to 40 million people and supports agriculture, tribal communities, wildlife, and hydropower across seven states.
For southwestern Wyoming, the drawdown means a reservoir currently sitting at roughly 83% capacity will drop an estimated 35 feet over the next year — a significant impact on boating, fishing, and tourism in the Flaming Gorge area. Wyoming and upper Colorado River Basin states have already been bracing for mandatory water cuts amid historically low snowpack, making this announcement another sharp blow to the region’s water outlook.
What Happened
The Bureau of Reclamation formally announced Friday that it will release between 660,000 and 1 million acre-feet of water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir over the next 12 months. The emergency action is designed to prevent Lake Powell, located downstream in Arizona and Utah, from falling below the so-called “minimum power pool” elevation of 3,490 feet — the threshold below which Glen Canyon Dam can no longer generate hydroelectric power.
Federal officials warned that without major intervention, Lake Powell could drop below that critical elevation as soon as August. A further drop, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, raises the risk of structural failure at Glen Canyon Dam itself — a catastrophic scenario for water infrastructure serving the entire American Southwest.
In addition to the Flaming Gorge releases, the bureau plans to reduce flows out of Lake Powell by approximately 1.5 million acre-feet through September. Combined, federal officials say these actions are expected to raise Lake Powell’s elevation by roughly 54 feet, bringing it to at least 3,500 feet by April 2027.
By the Numbers
- 660,000 to 1 million acre-feet of water to be released from Flaming Gorge over 12 months
- 3,490 feet — the minimum power pool elevation at Lake Powell; a drop below this level ends hydroelectric generation at Glen Canyon Dam
- 54 feet — the projected elevation gain at Lake Powell if all planned actions succeed
- 35 feet — the expected drop in Flaming Gorge’s water level over the next year
- 83% — Flaming Gorge’s current capacity, according to federal estimates
Zoom Out
“Given the severity of the risks facing the Colorado River system, it is imperative that we take action quickly to protect a resource that supplies water to 40 million people and supports vital agricultural, hydropower production, tribal, wildlife and recreational uses across the region,” said Bureau of Reclamation Assistant Secretary of Water and Science Andrea Travnicek in a prepared statement Friday.
The bureau said it will not draw additional emergency releases from Blue Mesa Reservoir in Colorado or the Navajo Reservoir in New Mexico, citing those reservoirs’ already low water levels and poor inflow forecasts. Flaming Gorge, with a maximum capacity of 3.8 million acre-feet, was selected in part because Wyoming water officials had already been preparing stakeholders for a large-scale release. Wyoming Senior Assistant Attorney General Chris Brown had warned earlier this month that a draw of potentially 1 million acre-feet — or more — was coming.
The situation reflects a broader pattern of overtaxed water infrastructure across the Mountain West and Colorado River Basin, where drought conditions and population growth have pushed reservoirs to dangerous lows. The bureau cautioned that drought response plans remain in flux and it will maintain “as much operational flexibility as possible.”
What’s Next
Flaming Gorge will see reduced boating access earlier in the season than normal, the bureau said, and fishing and rafting conditions in the Grand Canyon are also expected to be affected by altered flow rates downstream. Recreation-dependent businesses and communities near the reservoir should expect notable changes through at least spring 2027.
Federal officials will continue monitoring inflow projections and may adjust release volumes as conditions evolve. The bureau’s acknowledgment that drought response plans are still being finalized suggests additional emergency measures across the Colorado River Basin remain possible before the end of the year.
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