Lake Powell Water Level Today - 3,517.66 ft, 22.0% Full
Glen Canyon Dam · Colorado River · Utah / Arizona - updated daily from official gauges
Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 47··Latest reading
- Lake Powell is 22.0% full - very low on this site's capacity scale - as of . Surface elevation 3,517.66 feet, storage 5,131,890 acre-feet (capacity basis 23,314,000 acre-feet), per U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gauge data.
- That elevation is its lowest September reading since 1964, and 0.00 feet above its record low of 3,517.66 ft (, the lowest since the reservoir first filled), in a daily record going back to December 28, 1963 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series).
- Storage is 34% of the September 6 average across 63 years of record.
- Lake Powell is falling: elevation changed -0.24 ft over the past week, -3.59 ft over the past month, and -29.76 ft over the past year, per U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gauge data.
Lake Powell is within 0.00 feet of the lowest surface elevation in its daily record, set on .
Lake Powell - distance to operating thresholds
- Minimum power pool - 3,490 ft27.7 ft above
- Dead pool - 3,370 ft147.7 ft above
Distances are the live surface elevation minus each published operating level. Context: shortage tiers · dead pool · minimum power pool.
Boat ramps: 1 of 11 ramps sit above their published minimum launch elevation at today's level. Ramp-by-ramp cushions →
Lake Powell vs its record low
In the daily record used by this site (going back to December 28, 1963 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series)), Lake Powell's lowest surface elevation since it first filled (first near-full reading 1979) was 3,517.66 feet on , when storage was 5,131,890 acre-feet. As of , Lake Powell is at 3,517.66 feet - 0.00 feet above that record. The record high in the same series was 3,708.34 ft on .
Reclamation's July 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell at 3,507.68 feet on December 31, 2026; its lowest projected month is 3,491.75 ft (April 30, 2027), 1.75 ft above minimum power pool. Details and the Probable Minimum scenario: USBR projections · minimum power pool · dead pool · Mead vs Powell.
Lake Powell storage in context
| Reading | Elevation (ft) | Storage (AF) | % full |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today (September 6, 2026) | 3,517.66 | 5,131,890 | 22.0% |
| One year ago | 3,547.42 | 6,927,010 | 29.7% |
| Five years ago | 3,549.04 | 7,516,660 | 32.2% |
| Record low (September 6, 2026) | 3,517.66 | 5,131,890 | 22.0% |
| Capacity basis | 3,700.00 | 23,314,000 | 100.0% |
Lake Powell water level, past 12 months
22.0% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 22.0% (September 6, 2026) to 29.7% (September 6, 2025). Percent full is storage against the 23,314,000-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above.
Lake Powell elevation, full record
22.0% full at the latest reading - across the storage record since June 28, 1963 it ranged from 0.0% (June 28, 1963) to 110.2% (July 14, 1983). Percent full is storage against the 23,314,000-acre-foot capacity basis, not a share of the elevation plotted above. Every percentage here is measured against today's capacity basis; a reservoir's surveyed capacity changes as sediment accumulates behind the dam, so early-record percentages are indicative rather than exact.
Last 14 daily readings
| Date | Elevation (ft) | Day change | Storage (AF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 6, 2026 | 3,517.66 | -0.05 ft | 5,131,890 |
| September 5, 2026 | 3,517.71 | -0.04 ft | 5,134,640 |
| September 4, 2026 | 3,517.75 | -0.04 ft | 5,136,840 |
| September 3, 2026 | 3,517.79 | -0.06 ft | 5,139,040 |
| September 2, 2026 | 3,517.85 | -0.01 ft | 5,142,350 |
| September 1, 2026 | 3,517.86 | -0.01 ft | 5,142,900 |
| August 31, 2026 | 3,517.87 | -0.03 ft | 5,143,450 |
| August 30, 2026 | 3,517.90 | -0.07 ft | 5,145,100 |
| August 29, 2026 | 3,517.97 | -0.16 ft | 5,148,960 |
| August 28, 2026 | 3,518.13 | -0.14 ft | 5,157,770 |
| August 27, 2026 | 3,518.27 | -0.20 ft | 5,165,750 |
| August 26, 2026 | 3,518.47 | -0.19 ft | 5,176,450 |
| August 25, 2026 | 3,518.66 | +0.10 ft | 5,187,160 |
| August 24, 2026 | 3,518.56 | - | 5,181,520 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the water level of Lake Powell today?
As of September 6, 2026, Lake Powell's surface elevation is 3,517.66 feet, with 5,131,890 acre-feet in storage - 22.0% of the 23,314,000 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
How full is Lake Powell?
Lake Powell is 22.0% full as of September 6, 2026. Its storage is 34% of the September 6 average across its record since 1963. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
When was Lake Powell last full?
Lake Powell was last at or above 95% of its 23,314,000 acre-foot capacity basis on November 21, 1999. As of September 6, 2026 it is 22.0% full. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
Is Lake Powell rising or falling?
Lake Powell is falling: its elevation changed -0.24 feet over the week ending September 6, 2026, -3.59 ft over the past month, and -29.76 feet over the past year. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
What was Lake Powell's lowest water level on record?
Lake Powell's lowest surface elevation since it first filled (its first near-full reading in this series is from 1979) was 3,517.66 feet on September 6, 2026, per the daily record used by this site. As of September 6, 2026 the reservoir is 0.00 feet above that record low.
How close is Lake Powell to minimum power pool?
Minimum power pool at Lake Powell is elevation 3,490 feet - the lowest level at which Glen Canyon Dam can generate hydropower. As of September 6, 2026, at 3,517.66 feet, Lake Powell is 27.7 feet above it; dead pool is 3,370 feet. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
About this gauge
Lake Powell, formed by Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, is the second-largest reservoir in the United States. Its releases feed the Grand Canyon reach and, downstream, Lake Mead.
- Operator
- Bureau of Reclamation (RISE)
- Station
- Daily series item 508 (elevation), 509 (storage)
- Measurements
- Glen Canyon Dam - Reclamation daily reservoir record
- Dam
- Glen Canyon Dam
- River
- Colorado River
- State
- Utah / Arizona
- Coordinates
- 37.0578, -111.3033 (USBR RISE location 393)
- Full pool reference
- 3,700.0 ft
- Capacity basis
- 23,314,000 acre-feet (USBR Lower Colorado River Daily Report)
- Period of record
- December 28, 1963 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series)
- Status
- Provisional - subject to revision by the reporting agency
- Update cadence
- Daily
Download the daily CSV (date, elevation ft, storage AF) or see all data downloads.
Other reservoirs tracked
Colorado River system: Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Havasu, Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Blue Mesa Reservoir, Navajo Reservoir.
Also: Shasta Lake, Lake Oroville, Folsom Lake, Lake Berryessa, New Melones Lake, Trinity Lake, Don Pedro Reservoir, San Luis Reservoir, Lake Travis, Lake Buchanan, Canyon Lake, Amistad Reservoir, Falcon Lake, Elephant Butte Reservoir.
Notes
- 1/Percent full is storage divided by the 23,314,000 acre-foot capacity basis published in the USBR Lower Colorado River Daily Report. ↩
- 2/Elevations are from Bureau of Reclamation RISE daily series item 508 (storage item 509) for Glen Canyon Dam. Reclamation publishes these as provisional and may revise them. ↩
- 3/Gauge coordinates 37.0578, -111.3033 - USBR RISE location 393. Elevations are as published by the operating agency; consult the source for the vertical datum in use. ↩
- 4/Period of record for the daily series used here begins December 28, 1963 (Reclamation's period of record for this daily series). Record low is measured over that window only. ↩
- 5/All readings carry the date the gauge reported them, which may lag today's date. This site publishes observations, not forecasts. ↩