美国联邦水利局周四宣布，将不从格伦峡谷大坝的鲍威尔湖释放冷水，尽管此举可能有助于保护濒危的驼峰鲟[1]。水利局在电子邮件中表示，不释放冷水是因为"在系统压力已大的情况下存在重大水力发电问题"[1]。
鲍威尔湖目前蓄水率仅约为23%，这是数十年来过度使用和蒸发的结果[1]。科罗拉多河下游大坝处的水温目前约为69华氏度（20.5摄氏度），水利局建议在平均日温超过60华氏度（15.5摄氏度）持续三天时考虑释放冷水[1]。在2024年和2025年的冷水释放中，这些措施成功阻止了小口鲈鱼产卵[1]。
科罗拉多河能源配销商协会代表安迪·科洛西莫表示，此决定"是正确的选择"，因为释放冷水将迫使公用事业公司花费数百万美元购买更昂贵的替代能源[1]。
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced Thursday that it would not release cool water from Lake Powell, the reservoir behind Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, despite the potential to protect endangered humpback chub fish [1]. The agency cited significant hydroelectric power concerns, stating in an email that cold water releases were not feasible "given the major hydroelectric issues when the system is already under stress" [1].
Lake Powell currently holds approximately 23 percent of its capacity, a level reached through decades of over-allocation and evaporation [1]. Water temperatures at downstream dams on the Colorado River have reached about 69 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting the Bureau's guideline that cold water releases should be considered when average daily temperatures exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit for three consecutive days [1]. The decision prioritizes hydroelectric power generation over fish protection in a river system increasingly strained by overuse and climate change.
Cold water releases in 2024 and 2025 had succeeded in preventing smallmouth bass spawning [1]. Andy Colosimo, representing the Colorado River Energy Distributors Association, defended the decision as "the right call," noting that releasing cold water would force utilities to spend millions of dollars purchasing more expensive alternative power sources [1].