Lake Powell

A federal hydrologist appeared to be momentarily at a loss for words Thursday as he described how dire the latest forecast has gotten for how much water will flow through the Colorado River Basin this summer.

A proposal from Arizona, California and Nevada would cut back on water and prop up Lake Mead and Lake Powell.

Quicksand can form in rivers and washes across the Colorado Plateau. Conditions beneath the surface can create unstable ground and potential hazards.

The federal Colorado Basin River Forecast Center says just 1.4 million acre feet of Colorado River water is expected to reach Lake Powell through July — less than a quarter of what's considered normal.

New Mexico water negotiator Estevan López said talks resumed this month, and the upper and lower basin states are using a short-term pitch from Nevada as a starting point.

Leaders of environmental groups are issuing fresh warnings this week about the impacts the ongoing gridlock could have on the river basin.

Federal water managers say Lake Powell's level could drop low enough to impact power production at Glen Canyon Dam by the end of the year as drought conditions worsen across the Colorado River Basin.

The proposals range from "no action" to a scenario that might result in water cuts to the lower-basin states, including Arizona. One option would incentivize states and water users to proactively conserve the river.

Internal emails between City of Page officials and developers show discussions about a controversial planned data center were going on as early as 2024.

Page officials have halted a citizen-led effort to block a land sale for the construction of a data center because of errors in the paperwork.