Water Resources Manager Tina Shields reported that 2026 snowpack is tracking to be the first or second worst year on record. The Bureau of Reclamation is reducing annual releases from Lake Powell by 1.5 million acre-feet to prevent the reservoir from dropping below hydropower generation levels, which staff said could lead to Lake Mead (IID's delivery source) dropping about 35 feet total over the next year (including an estimated ~20 feet more than prior projections). The lower basin states (California, Arizona, Nevada) submitted a short-term bridge proposal to Reclamation last Friday that includes voluntary compensated conservation, potential 1.5 million acre-foot annual use reductions, and ICS flexibility for IID — a Record of Decision is expected by end of July 2026, so Reclamation can communicate next-year operations/water supply expectations in August, which will determine water supply conditions for the coming year.
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