Why Arizona’s top water official is against draining Lake Powell

A proposal to shrink or eliminate Lake Powell in favour of consolidating Colorado River storage in Lake Mead has drawn significant criticism from water managers responsible for supplying millions of people throughout the Southwest.

Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke has argued that eliminating Lake Powell would remove an important buffer that stores water during wet years and releases it during prolonged droughts. Without that storage, he says, the overall yield of the Colorado River system could decline because surplus water from unusually wet seasons would no longer be available to offset future shortages.

Infrastructure presents another challenge to the plan, known as “Fill Mead First.” Glen Canyon Dam and its outlet works were designed around Lake Powell’s existence, and modifying the system to transfer water directly downstream would require substantial engineering changes while preserving hydropower generation and interstate water deliveries.

The debate comes as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation develops new operating rules for Lake Powell and Lake Mead beyond 2026, acknowledging that prolonged drought and climate change require more resilient management strategies for a river that supplies water to about 40 million people across seven US states and Mexico.