Lake Powell body found shows return of lake's decline after wet years

A missing Arizona man was found at Lake Powell in an area of the reservoir where water levels have fluctuated in recent years.

Water levels at the lake have plunged 20 feet since the start of 2025 and nearly 30 feet since last September.

In December 2023, when the man disappeared, water levels were about 24 feet higher than they are now.

The body of an Arizona man missing since December 2023 was found in a vehicle submerged in Lake Powell, where declining water levels are uncovering areas that have been hidden under water.

The discovery also shows how a single strong runoff year, 2023, postponed serious water shortages on the Colorado River, and how, two years later, as the water recedes again, those shortages loom on the horizon.

Water levels at Lake Powell, which sits behind Glen Ca