Home / Environment / Arizona Lake Vanishes, Leaving Gila River Bare
Arizona Lake Vanishes, Leaving Gila River Bare
19 Aug
Summary
- San Carlos Reservoir dried to 1% capacity by May 2026.
- Poor snowfall and water releases caused extreme decline.
- Hypoxia killed fish; reservoir closed indefinitely by June 2026.
Satellite images captured a dramatic transformation of Arizona's San Carlos Reservoir. By May 2026, images showed a stark contrast to June 2023, revealing the Gila River's channel and spreading vegetation where a lake once existed. Storage plummeted to less than 1% of capacity, holding only 389 acre-feet of water.
This severe reduction was attributed to exceptionally poor snowfall in the Gila River watershed and significant water releases for downstream agriculture. By June 2026, the critically low water levels resulted in hypoxia, leading to the deaths of nearly all fish.
Officials closed the reservoir indefinitely on June 5, 2026, citing health risks from decomposing fish. This marked the end of the reservoir's fishery for the time being. While heavy rainfall could potentially restore water levels, the situation underscores the Gila River's highly variable nature.
NASA's comparison highlighted the rapid environmental shift. The exposed riverbed and reservoir bottom were overtaken by plants like tamarisk and cottonwood. As of early August 2026, water storage remained critically low, with provisional measurements below 200 acre-feet.
