Modeled dissolved oxygen and water temperature in the Colorado River in Glen and Grand Canyons in support of resource impact analysis for Post-2026 reservoir operational alternatives (ver. 2.0, July 2026)

These data were compiled in support of the Post-2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead (Post 2026) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These data were outputs from models that estimate annual minimum dissolved oxygen and daily water temperature in the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam. The objective of our study was to predict water temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations from 2027 to 2060 under eight different operational strategies representing different Colorado River water management scenarios. The alternatives were implemented under multiple hydrologies (for a total of 1200 unique possible futures per alternative). A revision was completed in July 2026 to evaluate a ninth operational strategy (the preferred alternative) under 400 possible hydrological futures.

First release: March 2026
Revised: July 2026 (ver. 2.0)