Lake Powell Water Level Today - 3,521.76 ft, 23.0% Full
Glen Canyon Dam · Colorado River · Utah / Arizona - updated daily from official gauges
Western Reservoir Conditions·Daily·No. 91··Latest reading
- Lake Powell is 23.0% full - very low on this site's capacity scale - as of . Surface elevation 3,521.76 feet, storage 5,360,290 acre-feet (capacity basis 23,314,000 acre-feet), per U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gauge data.
- That elevation is 5.14 feet above its record low of 3,516.62 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 36% of the October 21 average across 63 years of record.
- Lake Powell is rising: elevation changed +2.45 ft over the past week, +4.35 ft over the past month, and -23.87 ft over the past year, per U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gauge data.
Lake Powell has fallen 23.87 feet in twelve months, and now sits 5.14 feet above its record low.
Lake Powell - distance to operating thresholds
- Minimum power pool - 3,490 ft31.8 ft above
- Dead pool - 3,370 ft151.8 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 3,516.62 feet on , when storage was 5,074,900 acre-feet. As of , Lake Powell is at 3,521.76 feet - 5.14 feet above that record. The record high in the same series was 3,708.34 ft on .
Reclamation's September 2026 Most Probable 24-Month Study projects Lake Powell at 3,513.51 feet on December 31, 2026; its lowest projected month is 3,511.43 ft (February 28, 2027), 21.43 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 (October 21, 2026) | 3,521.76 | 5,360,290 | 23.0% |
| One year ago | 3,545.63 | 6,809,770 | 29.2% |
| Five years ago | 3,544.55 | 7,201,510 | 30.9% |
| Record low (September 15, 2026) | 3,516.62 | 5,074,900 | 21.8% |
| Capacity basis | 3,700.00 | 23,314,000 | 100.0% |
Lake Powell water level, past 12 months
23.0% full at the latest reading - across the past 12 months it ranged from 21.8% (September 15, 2026) to 29.2% (October 25, 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
23.0% 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 21, 2026 | 3,521.76 | +0.99 ft | 5,360,290 |
| October 20, 2026 | 3,520.77 | +0.06 ft | 5,304,600 |
| October 19, 2026 | 3,520.71 | +0.16 ft | 5,301,240 |
| October 18, 2026 | 3,520.55 | +0.24 ft | 5,292,270 |
| October 17, 2026 | 3,520.31 | +0.29 ft | 5,278,840 |
| October 16, 2026 | 3,520.02 | +0.23 ft | 5,262,640 |
| October 15, 2026 | 3,519.79 | +0.48 ft | 5,249,810 |
| October 14, 2026 | 3,519.31 | +0.21 ft | 5,223,100 |
| October 13, 2026 | 3,519.10 | +0.10 ft | 5,211,440 |
| October 12, 2026 | 3,519.00 | +0.12 ft | 5,205,890 |
| October 11, 2026 | 3,518.88 | -0.04 ft | 5,199,240 |
| October 10, 2026 | 3,518.92 | -0.05 ft | 5,201,450 |
| October 9, 2026 | 3,518.97 | -0.06 ft | 5,204,230 |
| October 8, 2026 | 3,519.03 | - | 5,207,550 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the water level of Lake Powell today?
As of October 21, 2026, Lake Powell's surface elevation is 3,521.76 feet, with 5,360,290 acre-feet in storage - 23.0% of the 23,314,000 acre-foot capacity basis. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
How full is Lake Powell?
Lake Powell is 23.0% full as of October 21, 2026. Its storage is 36% of the October 21 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 October 21, 2026 it is 23.0% full. Source: Bureau of Reclamation daily gauge data.
Is Lake Powell rising or falling?
Lake Powell is rising: its elevation changed +2.45 feet over the week ending October 21, 2026, +4.35 ft over the past month, and -23.87 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 3,516.62 feet on September 15, 2026, per the daily record used by this site. As of October 21, 2026 the reservoir is 5.14 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 October 21, 2026, at 3,521.76 feet, Lake Powell is 31.8 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, Lake Abilene, Lake Alan Henry, Lake Amon G Carter, Aquilla Lake, Lake Arlington, Lake Arrowhead, Lake Athens, Lake Austin, B. A. Steinhagen Lake, Bardwell Lake, Belton Lake, Benbrook Lake, Lake Bob Sandlin, Bois d'Arc Lake, Lake Bonham, Brady Creek Reservoir, Bridgeport Reservoir, Lake Brownwood, Caddo Lake, Cedar Creek Reservoir, Champion Creek Reservoir, Lake Cherokee, Choke Canyon Reservoir, Lake Cisco, Lake Coleman, Coleto Creek Reservoir, Lake Colorado City, Comanche Creek Reservoir, Lake Conroe, Lake Corpus Christi, Lake Crook, Lake Cypress Springs, E. V. Spence Reservoir, Eagle Mountain Reservoir, Lake Fork Reservoir, Fort Phantom Hill Reservoir, Lake Georgetown, Gibbons Creek Reservoir, Lake Graham, Lake Granbury, Granger Lake, Grapevine Lake, Greenbelt Lake, Halbert Lake, Hords Creek Lake, Lake Houston, Houston County Lake, Hubbard Creek Reservoir, Moss Lake, Inks Lake, Lake J.B. Thomas, Lake Jacksonville, Cooper (Chapman) Lake, Joe Pool Lake, Lake Kemp, Lake Kickapoo, Lake O the Pines, Lavon Lake, Leon Reservoir, Lewisville Lake, Lake Limestone, Livingston Reservoir, Lost Creek Reservoir, Lake L. B. Johnson, Mackenzie Reservoir, Lake Marble Falls, Martin Lake, Medina Lake, Lake Meredith, Millers Creek Reservoir, Lake Mineral Wells, Monticello Reservoir, Mountain Creek Lake, Murvaul Lake, Lake Nacogdoches, Lake Nasworthy, Navarro Mills Lake, New Terrell City Lake, Lake Nocona (Farmer's Creek), North Fork Buffalo Creek Reservoir, O. C. Fisher Lake, O. H. Ivie Reservoir, Oak Creek Reservoir, Lake Palestine, Palo Duro Reservoir, Lake Palo Pinto, Lake Pat Cleburne, Pat Mayse Lake, Possum Kingdom Lake, Proctor Lake, Lake Ray Hubbard, Ray Roberts Lake, Red Bluff Reservoir, Richland-Chambers Reservoir, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Somerville Lake, Lake Stamford, Stillhouse Hollow Lake, Lake Striker, Lake Sulphur Springs, Lake Sweetwater, Lake Tawakoni, Lake Texana, Lake Texoma, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Twin Buttes Reservoir, Lake Tyler, Waco Lake, Lake Waxahachie, Lake Weatherford, White River Reservoir, Whitney Lake, Lake Worth, Wright Patman Lake.
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. ↩