# US denies cool water releases to save threatened Colorado fish 2026-08-08T10:30:27+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Federal officials have decided not to release cool water from Lake Powell this year, risking the humpback chub, a threatened native fish, to protect hydropower generation. The Bureau of Reclamation said releasing cold water from deep in the reservoir, which would curb invasive smallmouth bass that prey on the chub, would cut power output when the system is already strained. Lake Powell is only 23% full after overuse and climate change. The decision comes a week after the US proposed mandatory water cuts for California, Arizona and Nevada after states failed to agree on sharing the dwindling Colorado River. In 2024 and 2025, cool-water releases successfully stopped bass spawning. This year, river temperatures downstream have exceeded 60°F (15.5°C) for over a month. Conservation group American Rivers called the decision disappointing but not unexpected. Utilities that buy Glen Canyon Dam hydropower welcomed it, saying alternative energy would cost millions more and raise electricity bills. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: climate change, Colorado River, endangered fish, hydropower, US water policy, water crisis Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/us-denies-cool-water-releases-to-save-threatened-colorado-fish/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/us-denies-cool-water-releases-to-save-threatened-colorado-fish/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.