Maxwell Lapekas' Lake Powell Paddle Boards and Kayaks used to see up to 150 customers a day. Now, that number generally doesn't surpass 40 amid the growing water crisis at the lake, the second-largest reservoir in the United States.
The drop in tourism – which has happened despite the reservoir remaining open for visitors and water sports – has also made it harder for Lapekas to provide his employees with consistent work schedules.
"We’ve been able to hold strong these past few years, but this is the first one we’ve seen" such a large decrease in customers, said Lapekas, whose business is located in Page, Arizona.
Other businesses along the Colorado River and near the Arizona-Utah border have suffered as well amid aWestern drought exacerbated by
climate change. Lake Powell, which helps power millions of homes, fell this month to its lowest level ever. In response to the crisis, the federal government recently finalized steep cuts in how much water Arizona, California and Nevada can draw from the Colorado River, prompting a lawsuit from Nevada.
Water levels and tourism
From July 2025 to July 2026, short-term rental occupancy fell by 10% in the nearby City of Page. Meanwhile, the city's hotel and motel occupancy fell every month this year except in February, according to city spokesperson Adam Geller.
Misconceptions regarding the Lake Powell's water levels are likely one of the primary reasons for declining tourism, Geller and local business owners said. Lapekas said he gets at least one phone call a day from people asking whether there is still water in the lake and if they can visit.
"You can still go rent a boat, rent a houseboat – all the things that Lake Powell is known for," Geller said. "While the water levels are low, (Lake Powell) is still one of the largest man-made recreation areas in the country."
Mike Reynolds, the founder and sole employee of Surf’s Up Lake Powell in Page, said he has seen little change in his business. He continues to provide guided wake surfing and wakeboarding tours, leading families through the surrounding canyons.
Some of the lake's boat launch ramps have been closed. But the impact has been minimal, causing only a slight increase in wait times, said Jennifer Jordon, executive director of Page's Summit and Shore Alliance, a nonprofit that offers free adventures for military veterans.
The alliance, she said, has coordinated more than 15 houseboat trips this season.
Denise King, 69, is among those who keep returning to Lake Powell. Her late parents, Richard and Doris Denney, rented a houseboat for their Bullfrog, Utah, family and explored the waters several times a year.
"It's a place that we always felt like when you go there, you're away from the hustle and bustle of every other place," King said.
She last visited Lake Powell over the last Fourth of July weekend for her parents' memorial. Richard and Doris Denney requested in their will that their ashes be scattered in the lake.
During her visit, King said she was cautious because of the declining water levels.
"But the next day when we went in that canyon, it was as deep and as fun as I remembered," King said. "It was very magical, and just beyond what anybody could imagine."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As the second-largest reservoir in the nation drops, so does tourism
