The second-largest reservoir in the country hit its peak for the year this week.
Lake Powell, which straddles Utah’s shared state line with Arizona, reached its fullest point for 2024 on Wednesday. The reservoir reached an elevation of 3,587.17 feet above sea level, or 42% full, according to the federal Bureau of Reclamation.
As snowpack has melted on mountains across the West this summer, the water has fed rivers and streams — including the Colorado River, which flows into Lake Powell. The reservoir will begin to fall over the rest of the calendar year as spring runoff slows.
In March, hydrologists predicted that Lake Powell’s capacity would peak at 37% this year, which the reservoir has now exceeded.
Lake Powell reached a maximum capacity of 38% in 2023, following a record-breaking winter in Utah and across the West. The year before that, the reservoir suffered a record low, falling to a dire 22% of full capacity.