Lake Powell 2020

Sixty years after its creation, Lake Powell faces an uncertain future with increasing drought and limited runoff into the Colorado River Basin. Here we speak with Jack Schmidt and Eric Kuhn about the policies and politics of reservoirs along the Colorado River. Jack Schmidt is a professor at Utah State University’s Center for Colorado River studies and Eric Kuhn is an engineer and was general manager for the Colorado River Water Conservation District for 37 years. We discuss the role Lake Powell plays in the Colorado River Basin and how climate change, politics, and water-use policies affect the reservoir’s future.