Bureau of Reclamation · Glen Canyon Dam
Official reservoir operations information includes elevation projections, runoff and inflow forecasts, and monthly release planning. Projection tables and graphics are revised as conditions change.
Open official operations portal ↗ Latest USBR elevation projection chart (PDF) ↗Will Lake Powell rise or fall?
There is no reliable single answer without a forecast issue date, modeled hydrology and an operating scenario. Snowpack and precipitation, spring runoff, upstream reservoir operations and releases from Glen Canyon Dam all affect future elevations.
Official projected monthly dam-release chart ↗ · Both charts are maintained externally by the Bureau of Reclamation. Check their modeling month and scenario labels every time you open them.
How to read a Lake Powell forecast
- Issue date: Check when the forecast was published. An older forecast may no longer represent the outlook.
- Forecast horizon: Seasonal and 24-month projections answer different questions than a short-term daily trend.
- Scenario: Most-likely, wetter and drier conditions may show different projected elevations.
- Units and datum: Confirm whether the figure shows feet of elevation or acre-feet of stored water.
Why we do not publish a homemade prediction
Extrapolating a recent downward or upward slope is not a hydrologic forecast. Without an appropriately maintained model and upstream inputs, that approach would give false precision. We link to the federal projections rather than label a trend line as a prediction.
Looking for observed levels?
Compare past official water-level observations with future scenarios.
View observed water levels →Return to the latest Lake Powell elevation
See the observed water level, changes and source observation time.
Lake Powell water level today →