Lake Powell does not have much water. Now, people are talking about how to share the water from the Colorado River.

鮑威爾湖的水量不多。現在，人們正在討論如何分配科羅拉多河的水量。

Lake Powell is very low because there was not enough snow and the weather was too hot. The water is so low that the power plant might stop working. This plant gives electricity to 6 million people.

鮑威爾湖的水位非常低，是因為積雪不足且天氣過於炎熱。水位低到發電廠可能會停止運作。這座電廠為 600 萬人提供電力。

Some cities are trying to help. Phoenix is cleaning old water to use it again. San Diego wants to sell its water to other states. The government is also trying to save water, but the states do not agree on a plan.

一些城市正嘗試提供協助。鳳凰城正在淨化廢水以重複利用。聖地牙哥則希望將其水資源出售給其他州。政府也試圖節水，但各州在方案上未能達成共識。

One group has a new idea. They want to put most of the water in Lake Mead instead of Lake Powell. They say the old dam does not work well today. They want to let the river flow more naturally.

有一個團體提出了一個新想法。他們希望將大部分的水存放在米德湖而非鮑威爾湖。他們表示舊水壩在現今已不適用，希望讓河流更自然地流動。

Lake Powell is in trouble. People must use less water or change the whole system to save it.

鮑威爾湖陷入困境。人們必須減少用水，或改變整個系統才能挽救。

Lake Powell is experiencing a serious drop in water levels, which has led to urgent discussions about whether current water distribution policies and infrastructure are still effective.

波威爾湖的水位正經歷嚴重下降，導致各界急切討論目前的用水分配政策與基礎設施是否依然有效。

Lake Powell is currently at about 23% capacity, containing 5.6 million acre-feet of water. This decline was caused by a lack of snow and record-breaking heat in March. Unlike in 2023, when spring runoff helped the lake recover, there has been no such increase this year. Consequently, the reservoir is expected to reach record lows by autumn. This situation threatens hydroelectric power, as the water level is only 37 feet above the minimum needed to run the turbines at the Glen Canyon plant, which provides electricity to approximately 6 million people.

波威爾湖目前的容量約為 23%，包含 560 萬英畝-英呎的水量。此次下降是由於降雪不足以及三月份破紀錄的高溫所導致。與 2023 年不同，當時春季的融雪有助於湖泊恢復，但今年則沒有這樣的增長。因此，該水庫預計在秋季將達到歷史低點。這種情況威脅到水力發電，因為水位僅比格倫峽谷電廠運行渦輪機所需的最低水位高出 37 英呎，而該電廠為約 600 萬人提供電力。

Government responses to this shortage have been inconsistent. While the US Bureau of Reclamation has taken emergency steps, such as releasing extra water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, some experts argue these are only temporary solutions. Furthermore, the seven US states that use the Colorado River have not agreed on conservation rules, meaning the Bureau of Reclamation may have to force water cuts. In response, cities are looking for alternatives; for example, Phoenix is investing in water recycling, while San Diego has suggested selling its unused water rights to Arizona and Nevada to reduce the overall demand on the system.

政府對此次缺水的反應並不一致。雖然美國垦務局採取了緊急措施，例如從火焰峽谷水庫釋放額外水量，但部分專家認為這些僅是臨時方案。此外，使用科羅拉多河的七個美國州尚未就保育規則達成共識，這意味著垦務局可能必須強制削減用水量。對此，各城市正在尋找替代方案；例如鳳凰城正投資水資源回收，而聖地牙哥則建議將其未使用的用水權出售給亞利桑那州和內華達州，以降低系統的整體需求。

At the same time, the Glen Canyon Institute has proposed a major change called the 'Fill Mead First' strategy. This plan suggests that Lake Powell should no longer be the primary storage site and that water should instead be collected in Lake Mead. This is because the Glen Canyon Dam was designed for water levels from the mid-20th century, but river flows have since dropped by about 20%. Because the dam lacks a low-level outlet, much of the water cannot be accessed. The proposal involves building tunnels to let the river flow more freely, which would turn Lake Powell into a backup reservoir for very wet years, although this would mean stopping hydropower production.

與此同時，格倫峽谷研究所提出了一項名為「優先填滿米德湖」的重大變革策略。該計劃建議波威爾湖不應再作為主要儲水地，而應將水收集在米德湖中。這是因為格倫峽谷大壩是根據 20 世紀中期的水位設計的，但此後河流流量下降了約 20%。由於大壩缺乏低水位出水口，許多水資源無法被利用。該提案涉及興建隧道以使河流更自由地流動，這將使波威爾湖成為極端多雨年份的備用水庫，儘管這意味著必須停止水力發電。

Lake Powell remains in a critical state, and its long-term stability depends on either a significant reduction in water use or a complete redesign of the regional reservoir system.

波威爾湖仍處於危急狀態，其長期穩定取決於是否能大幅減少用水量，或完全重新設計區域水庫系統。

Lake Powell is experiencing a critical reduction in water volume, prompting discussions regarding the viability of current water distribution policies and infrastructure.

鮑威爾湖的水量正經歷嚴重減少，促使各界討論目前的用水分配政策與基礎設施是否依然可行。

The current hydrological state of Lake Powell is characterized by a capacity of approximately 23%, or 5.6 million acre-feet. This decline is attributed to a historically deficient snowpack and record-breaking thermal anomalies in March. Unlike the 2023 cycle, where spring runoff facilitated a recovery to 9.6 million acre-feet, the current period has exhibited no such replenishment. Consequently, the reservoir is projected to reach unprecedented lows by autumn. This depletion poses a direct threat to hydroelectric operations, as the water level is currently only 37 feet above the minimum threshold required for turbine functionality at the Glen Canyon power plant, which services approximately 6 million entities.

鮑威爾湖目前的水文狀態其容量約為 23%，即 560 萬英畝-英呎。此次下降歸因於歷史性的積雪不足以及三月份破紀錄的熱異常現象。與 2023 年的週期不同，當時春季的融雪促使水位回升至 960 萬英畝-英呎，而目前這一時期則未見此類補充。因此，該水庫預計在秋季將達到前所未有的低點。這種枯竭對水力發電構成了直接威脅，因為目前水位僅比格倫峽谷電廠渦輪機運作所需的最低門檻高出 37 英呎，而該電廠服務約 600 萬個實體。

Institutional responses to this scarcity have been fragmented. While the US Bureau of Reclamation has implemented emergency measures—including supplemental releases from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir—these are characterized by some analysts as temporary triage. The seven US states entitled to Colorado River water have yet to reach a consensus on conservation protocols, leaving the Bureau of Reclamation as the potential arbiter of mandatory reductions. In response to this instability, municipal entities are pursuing diversification; Phoenix is investing in effluent recycling, while San Diego has proposed the sale of its unused water rights to Arizona and Nevada to reduce the total number of active extractors from the system.

機構對此稀缺情況的反應較為碎片化。雖然美國垦務局已實施緊急措施——包括從火焰峽谷水庫進行補充放水——但部分分析師將其定性為臨時的權宜之計。有權使用科羅拉多河水的七個美國州尚未在保育方案上達成共識，使得垦務局可能成為強制減水的最終裁決者。為了應對這種不穩定性，市政實體正尋求多元化發展；鳳凰城正投資於廢水回收，而聖地牙哥則建議將其未使用的用水權出售給亞利桑那州和內華達州，以減少系統中活躍取水者的總數。

Parallel to these administrative efforts, the Glen Canyon Institute has proposed a fundamental structural shift termed the 'Fill Mead First' strategy. This proposal posits that Lake Powell should be retired as a primary storage facility in favor of consolidating water within Lake Mead. The rationale is based on the observation that Glen Canyon Dam was designed for mid-20th-century flow expectations, which have since declined by approximately 20%. Because the dam lacks a low-level outlet, a significant volume of water remains inaccessible. The proposed transition would involve the construction of diversion tunnels to allow the river to flow freely, effectively transforming Lake Powell into a secondary backup reservoir for high-precipitation years while accepting the cessation of hydropower generation.

與這些行政努力平行，格倫峽谷研究所提出了一項稱為「米德湖優先填充」的根本結構性轉變策略。該提案主張鮑威爾湖應不再作為主要儲水設施，而應將水整合至米德湖。其理由在於格倫峽谷大壩是根據 20 世紀中葉的流量預期設計的，而目前的流量已下降約 20%。由於大壩缺乏低水位出水口，導致大量水資源無法利用。擬議的轉型將涉及興建分流隧道以允許河流自由流動，有效地將鮑威爾湖轉變為高降雨年份的次級備用水庫，同時接受停止水力發電。

Lake Powell remains in a state of severe depletion, with long-term stability dependent upon significant reductions in consumption or a radical restructuring of the regional reservoir system.

鮑威爾湖仍處於嚴重枯竭狀態，長期穩定取決於能否大幅減少用水量，或對區域水庫系統進行激進的重組。