Central Arizona Project worried about snowpack levels — though it's still early in the water year

Water issues will no doubt make the news in 2026. A water expert at the Central Arizona Project, which delivers Colorado River water to parts of the state, said the news so far this water year isn't good.

Vineetha Kartha is the Colorado River Programs manager at the Central Arizona Project. She says the Colorado primarily gets its water from snowpack.

So far, she says, "we are at 67% of the median, which is not good news."

And they're projecting about 73% of inflows, which goes into Lake Powell. But it’s still early days — water year 2026 started Oct. 1, 2025.

To put that into perspective, Kartha says for water year 2025, which ran from October 2024 to Sept. 30 of this year: "Our snowpack was at 92%, which on average, it's not bad, right? But the runoff or the water content that got translated was at 49%."

That made it it the fifth-driest year on record as far as inflows to Lake Powell go.

The good news? This year’s heavy rains helped reduce some water demands on Lake Mead.

Here are five water-saving tips from CAP:

• Cut back on outdoor watering frequency. Many homeowners water their yards more often than needed. The goal is to water more deeply with longer watering times but less frequently, to reach the roots and properly nourish plants. Most mature desert plants can thrive with watering no more than twice a week.
• Adjust your irrigation timer based on the season. Most mature plants don’t need watering during winter. Monthly guidelines are available at amwua.org/watering.
• Installing low-water desert plants means less maintenance and water use. Only have turf or grass if it’s truly functional - do you use it more than to mow?
• Install low-water toilets and appliances, especially replacing pre-1995 toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons per flush.
• Check for leaks and repair them, both outdoors in your irrigation system and indoors, from toilets to sinks. This guide simplifies the entire process smarthomewaterguide.org.