Snowpack peak falters; all-time low for Colorado River on the table
By Alan Halaly
Published on April 10, 2026.
The Colorado River could set records this year, potentially setting a new record low for runoff. The most probable forecast shows 1.4 million acre-feet of water flowing into Lake Powell, which would be the third lowest amount on record. If conditions continue as expected, this could result in the lowest year on record, 2002. Snowpack across the region has been poor this season, with unseasonably early March temperatures accelerating the snowmelt. Every state in the Colorado River Basin except California had its most meager April 1 snowpack reading on record since surveys began in the 1980s. The Bureau of Reclamation is expected to release plans to move water into Lake Pow in the coming weeks.
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