Lake Powell reaches lowest summer level on record

Lake Powell has reached its lowest level ever recorded at the start of summer. The reservoir now holds 23.28 percent of its capacity. Federal managers project the lake will fall to minimum power pool by next spring. At that point the Glen Canyon Dam would stop generating electricity.

Water releases and upstream storage Officials have begun draining smaller reservoirs in Colorado and Wyoming to slow the decline. The same projections show Lake Powell will continue dropping until late next spring. A wet fall linked to a strong El Niño pattern could add water, but managers say it would not reverse longer-term reductions in supply.

Recreation and local economy City officials in Page, Arizona, report a 6 percent drop in hotel revenue compared with last year. Workers are extending boat ramps and have moved Bullfrog Marina to deeper water. The city is also building a new low-level drinking-water intake to serve its 7,300 residents and local businesses.

Interstate management The seven states that share the river continue talks on permanent reductions in use. Upper Basin governors have warned that further upstream releases risk jobs and tourism in their states. Over the past 25 years the river's average flow has been 20 percent lower than the 1900-2000 average, state data show.