Matthew Southerland

🚨 LAKE POWELL IS UP ANOTHER FOOT! THIS IS GETTING INCREDIBLE! Lake Powell continues to make one of the most remarkable late-season recoveries we’ve seen in years. And the numbers keep getting more impressive. Here’s where things stand: 💧 Up 1 FOOT in just 24 hours! 💧 Up 21.5 FEET since its low in mid-September! 💧 Up 13 FEET in the past two weeks! 💧 Inflow: 40,740 cubic feet per second 💧 Outflow: 6,608 cubic feet per second That last comparison is especially important. Right now, water is entering Lake Powell at more than SIX TIMES the rate it’s leaving. That’s a net inflow of roughly 34,100 cubic feet per second, or approximately 2.2 BILLION gallons of water per day, based on those reported flow rates. And here’s what makes this so extraordinary. THIS IS HAPPENING IN NOVEMBER! Lake Powell typically experiences its biggest increases during spring and early summer as mountain snowpack melts across the Colorado River Basin. By fall, water levels are usually declining. But this year, historic October rainfall and flooding across southeastern Utah and the San Juan River watershed have completely changed that pattern. Massive amounts of runoff have been moving downstream into Lake Powell, producing an unusually sharp rise at a time of year when we’d normally expect the opposite. And while Flaming Gorge Reservoir has been releasing water downstream for months, those releases account for only about 7% of the recent rise, based on earlier estimates. The overwhelming majority is tied to the extraordinary rainfall and runoff. Now, some important perspective. Lake Powell is currently at 3,538.11 feet in elevation and just 27.15% full. It’s still nearly 162 feet below full pool and remains about 7 feet lower than this time last year. So no, this doesn’t mean the Colorado River’s long-term water challenges are over. Not even close. But a 21.5-foot recovery since September is significant, especially considering the timing. What’s happening right now is a powerful reminder of how quickly extreme precipitation can change the water balance of a major reservoir. And with river flows still running around 190% of average, this remarkable November rise may not be finished. I’ve been tracking Lake Powell closely, and this is one of the most fascinating late-season water-level surges I’ve followed.