Lake Mead Is Now Drier Than Before the Reservoir Was Filled

Every day, Lake Mead appears to be much less deserving of its title. The waterbody has formally reached yet one more historic low. The reservoir is now much less full than in April 1937, when it was nonetheless being stuffed for the primary time. It is hovering round 27% of its full capability, in line with NASA Earth Observatory. Satellite pictures from NASA, launched at this time, are a stark illustration of Mead’s plight.

Before Lake Mead was a lake, it was merely a stretch of the Colorado River. Then the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation initiated the construction of the Hoover Dam, which was constructed between 1931 and 1935. And slowly, the river turned a reservoir—filling to capability over the course of years.

The reservoir reached a benchmark in May 1937, when the floor water degree turned greater than the elevation of the Hoover Dam’s higher outlet, which permits the dam to launch water into the Lower Colorado River. Until this summer season, Lake Mead hadn’t fallen beneath that threshold because it was first crossed. But the dam’s higher outlet sits at 1,045 toes above sea degree, and presently the water is at just 1,040 feet.

This time final yr, the lake degree was almost 27 toes greater. In 2020, the water degree was over 1,085 toes. Lake Mead’s water degree has been persistently trending downward for the previous 22 years, however the current end result of that pattern is startling to see.

The ongoing, report drought throughout a lot of the western and southwestern U.S. and local weather change are massive contributing components within the reservoir’s most up-to-date benchmark of decline. It’s dry, it’s sizzling, and each municipal and agricultural demand for water from the Colorado River has remained excessive, even amid rising water restrictions.

Some of the low ranges although, are as a result of federal officers determined to cut back water releases to Lake Mead, in favor of preserving the degrees at Lake Powell upstream—which has additionally been closely impacted by the drought and can also be at simply 27% of its capability. The complete Colorado River is at 35%.

In addition to offering water throughout the arid West, each reservoirs are a important hydroelectric vitality supply. But Lake Mead is inching dangerously near “dead pool” ranges, the place there received’t be sufficient water to energy the dam. Dead pool occurs at a water elevation of 950 toes. Because of low water, the Hoover Dam’s electrical energy manufacturing has already been lowered by about one third.