The U.S. Interior Department announced a series of actions to preserve hydropower generation at Lake Powell amid record low water levels, underscoring the growing threat to the region's energy supply. The move comes as the Colorado River's flow has slowed to a trickle, jeopardizing power for more than 25 million people. Climate change and industrial overuse have pushed the American West into a dual crisis. A winter of record-breaking heat left snowpack in mountain ranges at historic lows, and March's unprecedented temperatures further eroded the melt-water supply that feeds the river. Key figures illustrate the stakes: the Colorado River serves 40 million people across seven states, and its reservoirs—Lake Powell and Lake Mead—provide power for 25 million residents. Lake Mead sits just 17 feet above its record low level set in July 2022, a drop that threatens electricity generation. Brad Udall, a senior water and climate researcher at Colorado State University's Colorado Water Center, said the March heat was "unprecedented, and stunning, and disturbing, and out of this world, frankly." He added that the early snowmelt has already forced the river to "go from crummy to god-awful in three weeks." Udall also warned that the current scarcity could trigger the first breach of the 1922 Colorado River Compact, a situation he described as "all foreseeable." Looking ahead, the Interior Department's interventions aim to keep Lake Powell's turbines running, but the broader drought may force a re-evaluation of water allocations and could prompt legal challenges among basin states. Energy and drilling operations in the region will need to monitor water levels closely as the summer progresses.