For more than 60 years, Lake Powell and Lake Mead have served as the twin pillars of the Colorado River system, storing water for cities, farms and hydropower across the American Southwest. But as drought, rising temperatures, and chronic overuse continue to shrink the river, a growing number of scientists and water experts argue that trying to keep both reservoirs operating as they were originally designed may no longer be realistic. Instead, they say the United States should seriously consider consolidating most of its stored water in Lake Mead, even if that means allowing Lake Powell to shrink dramatically or eventually disappear.
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