If things don't change soon, the billions of dollars taxpayers spent buying time to fix Lake Mead and Lake Powell will have been one giant waste.

Runoff into Lake Powell has a direct tie to how much water can be sent downstream to Lake Mead, from which Southern Nevada sources ... like it’s going to be a good year for water on the Colorado River ...

Arizona relies on the Colorado River to feed the nation and keep major cities humming. But the state could be in line for a lot less water soon.

Recent forecasts show Lake Mead and Lake Powell will remain roughly one-third full after snow melts down from the mountains across the West into the Colorado River and its tributaries this year.