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<div>Lake Mead's falling water levels are revealing a US ghost town submerged by its waters 90 years ago</div>
Lake Mead's falling water levels are revealing a US ghost town submerged by its waters 90 years ago
World
5 min.Read

Lake Mead’s falling water levels are revealing a US ghost town submerged by its waters 90 years ago

CurrentIndia.com
By CurrentIndia.com

Hoove Dam's co st uctio subme ged a US tow i 1935: 90 yea s late , Lake Mead's falli g wate levels a e helpi g it eeme ge

As
Lake
Mead’s
wate
levels
co ti ue
to
fall,
ume ous
headli es
a e
bei g
made.
Amo g
them
lies
o e
about
the
eeme ge ce
of
o e
of
the
cou t y’s
ghost
tow s.
St.
Thomas,
Nevada
is
visible
agai
o
the
floo
of
the
lake
a d
visito s
ca
o ce
mo e
walk
alo g
its
fo me
st eets,
li ed
with
fou datio s
a d
em a ts
of
its
old
buildi gs.
But
how
did
a
e ti e
tow
disappea
be eath
60
feet
of
wate ?

A
Mo mo
tow
lost
to
Hoove
Dam

A Mo mo tow lost to Hoove Dam<b ><b >” msid=”133094391″ width=”” title=”St. Thomas was fou ded i 1865 by a g oup of Mo mo settle s, who believed they had fou d a hugely valuable piece of g ou d ea the Muddy Rive .” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=”” esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133094391/a-mo mo -tow -lost-to-hoove -damb b .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></p> <p> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> was<br /> fou ded<br /> i<br /> 1865<br /> by<br /> a<br /> g oup<br /> of<br /> Mo mo<br /> settle s,<br /> who<br /> believed<br /> they<br /> had<br /> fou d<br /> a<br /> hugely<br /> valuable<br /> piece<br /> of<br /> g ou d<br /> ea<br /> the<br /> Muddy<br /> Rive .</p> </div> </div> <p>Acco di g<br /> to<br /> a<br /> epo t<br /> by<br /> Dia io<br /> AS,<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> was<br /> fou ded<br /> i<br /> 1865<br /> by<br /> a<br /> g oup<br /> of<br /> Mo mo<br /> settle s.<br /> They<br /> believed<br /> they<br /> had<br /> fou d<br /> a<br /> hugely<br /> valuable<br /> piece<br /> of<br /> g ou d<br /> ea<br /> the<br /> Muddy<br /> Rive .<br /> The<br /> settle s<br /> co st ucted<br /> i igatio<br /> systems<br /> a d<br /> tu ed<br /> the<br /> dese t<br /> i to<br /> fa mla d,<br /> which<br /> att acted<br /> ew<br /> settle s<br /> afte<br /> ma y<br /> of<br /> the<br /> o igi al<br /> Mo mo s<br /> left<br /> a<br /> few<br /> yea s<br /> late ,<br /> mai ly<br /> due<br /> to<br /> a<br /> tax<br /> dispute<br /> ove<br /> whethe<br /> the<br /> la d<br /> was<br /> i<br /> Nevada<br /> o<br /> Utah.I itially,<br /> o igi al<br /> settle s<br /> aimed<br /> to<br /> g ow<br /> cotto<br /> a d<br /> ope<br /> a<br /> supply<br /> oute<br /> betwee<br /> Califo ia<br /> a d<br /> Utah<br /> usi g<br /> the<br /> Colo ado<br /> Rive .<br /> The<br /> pio ee s<br /> lea ed<br /> that<br /> the<br /> heat,<br /> pests<br /> such<br /> as<br /> mosquitoes<br /> a d<br /> sco pio s,<br /> a d<br /> co flicts<br /> with<br /> local<br /> I dia<br /> t ibes<br /> made<br /> the<br /> a ea<br /> difficult<br /> to<br /> live<br /> i .<br /> Afte<br /> diggi g<br /> i igatio<br /> ca als,<br /> they<br /> discove ed<br /> cotto<br /> did<br /> ot<br /> g ow<br /> well,<br /> a d<br /> ma y<br /> etu ed<br /> to<br /> Utah<br /> i<br /> 1871,<br /> acco di g<br /> to<br /> the<br /> Moapa<br /> Valley<br /> Chambe<br /> of<br /> Comme ce<br /> St.</p> <p>Thomas<br /> website.<br /> A<br /> dive se<br /> g oup<br /> of<br /> ew<br /> settle s<br /> bega<br /> to<br /> populate<br /> the<br /> tow<br /> a d<br /> g ow<br /> a<br /> va iety<br /> of<br /> c ops.<br /> Mi i g<br /> became<br /> a<br /> boomi g<br /> busi ess,<br /> a d<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> became<br /> a<br /> f eight<br /> stop<br /> o<br /> the<br /> ail oad.<br /> By<br /> 1918,<br /> the<br /> tow<br /> busi esses<br /> i cluded<br /> a<br /> g oce y<br /> sto e,<br /> cafe,<br /> a d<br /> hotel,<br /> the<br /> Moapa<br /> website<br /> says.At<br /> its<br /> peak,<br /> a ou d<br /> 500<br /> people<br /> lived<br /> i<br /> St.<br /> Thomas,<br /> despite<br /> eside ts<br /> eve<br /> havi g<br /> elect icity<br /> o<br /> i doo<br /> plumbi g.<br /> It<br /> was<br /> still<br /> a<br /> fu ctio i g<br /> commu ity<br /> with<br /> a<br /> school,<br /> post<br /> office,<br /> sto es,<br /> chu ch<br /> a d<br /> othe<br /> busi esses.Howeve ,<br /> i<br /> 1928,<br /> whe<br /> the<br /> co st uctio<br /> of<br /> Hoove<br /> Dam<br /> was<br /> app oved<br /> by<br /> the<br /> U ited<br /> States<br /> Co g ess,<br /> the<br /> futu e<br /> of<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> was<br /> th eate ed.<br /> P eside t<br /> Calvi<br /> Coolidge<br /> sig ed<br /> the<br /> Boulde<br /> Ca yo<br /> P oject<br /> Act,<br /> which<br /> autho ised<br /> co st uctio<br /> of<br /> the<br /> Hoove<br /> Dam.The<br /> e o mous<br /> dam<br /> would<br /> t a sfo m<br /> the<br /> Colo ado<br /> Rive<br /> by<br /> c eati g<br /> Lake<br /> Mead,<br /> a<br /> ese voi<br /> desig ed<br /> to<br /> sto e<br /> wate<br /> fo<br /> the<br /> apidly<br /> developi g<br /> Southwest<br /> a d<br /> which<br /> would<br /> cove<br /> the<br /> valley<br /> whe e<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> stood.<br /> Reside ts<br /> we e<br /> compe sated<br /> a d<br /> g adually<br /> left.<br /> Lake<br /> Mead<br /> bega<br /> filli g<br /> i<br /> 1935,<br /> although<br /> St.<br /> Thomas’<br /> last<br /> eside t<br /> did ’t<br /> leave<br /> u til<br /> Ju e<br /> 1938,<br /> by<br /> which<br /> time<br /> the<br /> wate<br /> was<br /> o<br /> the<br /> ve ge<br /> of<br /> eachi g<br /> the<br /> tow .<br /> Hugh<br /> Lo d,<br /> the<br /> tow ’s<br /> last<br /> eside t,<br /> paddled<br /> away<br /> f om<br /> his<br /> home<br /> whe<br /> the<br /> wate<br /> eached<br /> it.<br /> At<br /> the<br /> lake’s<br /> highest<br /> wate<br /> level,<br /> the<br /> tow ’s<br /> highest<br /> buildi g<br /> sat<br /> 18<br /> m<br /> (60<br /> ft)<br /> below<br /> the<br /> lake<br /> su face,<br /> acco di g<br /> to<br /> the<br /> Natio al<br /> Pa k<br /> Se vice<br /> (NPS)<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> website.<br /> Its<br /> ice<br /> c eam<br /> pa lou<br /> a d<br /> school<br /> class ooms<br /> we e<br /> ow<br /> subme ged<br /> a d<br /> empty.<br /> O ly<br /> the<br /> tips<br /> of<br /> cotto wood<br /> t ees<br /> peeked<br /> out<br /> above<br /> the<br /> wate s.“Pe so ally,<br /> I<br /> am<br /> fasci ated<br /> by<br /> the<br /> histo y<br /> of<br /> the<br /> tow ,”<br /> said<br /> Ch istie<br /> Va ove ,<br /> public<br /> affai s<br /> office<br /> fo<br /> the<br /> Natio al<br /> Pa k<br /> Se vice<br /> as<br /> pe<br /> a<br /> epo t<br /> by<br /> the<br /> Wate<br /> E vi o me t<br /> Fede atio .<br /> “Its<br /> fi st<br /> eside ts<br /> came<br /> to<br /> this<br /> desolate<br /> dese t<br /> locatio<br /> 150<br /> yea s<br /> ago<br /> this<br /> yea<br /> because<br /> of<br /> a<br /> a e<br /> wate<br /> sou ce<br /> a d<br /> its<br /> co ectivity<br /> to<br /> the<br /> Colo ado<br /> Rive .<br /> I<br /> the<br /> e d,<br /> it<br /> was<br /> wate<br /> that<br /> fo ced<br /> eside ts<br /> to<br /> flee.”</p> <p><h2> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> eme ges<br /> as<br /> Lake<br /> Mead<br /> ecedes</h2> </p> <div data-pos=
St. Thomas eme ges as Lake Mead ecedes<b ><b >” msid=”133094401″ width=”” title=”Stai s of the school pa t of St. Thomas” placeholde s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” imgsize=”” esizemode=”4″ offsetve tical=”0″ placeholde msid=”47529300″ type=”thumb” s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/83033472.cms” class=”” data-s c=”https://static.toiimg.com/photo/msid-133094401/st-thomas-eme ges-as-lake-mead- ecedesb b .jpg” data-api-p e e de =”t ue”/></p> <p> Stai s<br /> of<br /> the<br /> school<br /> pa t<br /> of<br /> St.<br /> Thomas</p> </div> </div> <p>But<br /> what<br /> the<br /> wate<br /> took,<br /> eve tually<br /> it<br /> gave<br /> back.<br /> I<br /> the<br /> ea ly<br /> 2000s,<br /> Lake<br /> Mead’s<br /> wate<br /> levels<br /> bega<br /> falli g<br /> so<br /> d astically<br /> that<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> eme ged<br /> agai<br /> i<br /> 2002<br /> afte<br /> decades<br /> u de wate .<br /> St eets,<br /> fou datio s,<br /> buildi g<br /> emai s<br /> a d<br /> much<br /> mo e<br /> became<br /> visible,<br /> with<br /> the<br /> layout<br /> of<br /> the<br /> tow<br /> still<br /> ecog isable<br /> afte<br /> decades<br /> u de wate .“This<br /> yea ,<br /> Lake<br /> Mead<br /> eached<br /> its<br /> lowest<br /> elevatio<br /> si ce<br /> the<br /> dam<br /> bega<br /> filli g<br /> at<br /> [327<br /> m]<br /> 1074<br /> ft.<br /> The<br /> last<br /> time<br /> wate<br /> was<br /> this<br /> fa<br /> away<br /> f om<br /> the<br /> tow<br /> was<br /> i<br /> 1937<br /> while<br /> the<br /> lake<br /> was<br /> still<br /> filli g,”<br /> Va ove<br /> said.<br /> Yea s<br /> whe e<br /> wate<br /> levels<br /> have<br /> hove ed<br /> a ou d<br /> 329<br /> m<br /> (1080<br /> ft),<br /> compa able<br /> to<br /> cu e t<br /> wate<br /> levels,<br /> i clude<br /> 1956,<br /> 1964,<br /> 1965,<br /> 2010,<br /> 2011,<br /> 2014<br /> a d<br /> mo e.<br /> Lake<br /> wate<br /> levels<br /> have<br /> bee<br /> t acked<br /> by<br /> the<br /> U.S.<br /> Depa tme t<br /> of<br /> the<br /> I te io<br /> Bu eau<br /> of<br /> Reclamatio<br /> a d<br /> a e<br /> available<br /> o<br /> the<br /> Lake<br /> Mead<br /> at<br /> Hoove<br /> Dam<br /> website.Si ce<br /> the<br /> lake<br /> fo med,<br /> the<br /> seco d<br /> lo gest<br /> time<br /> the<br /> tow<br /> was<br /> exposed<br /> was<br /> slightly<br /> mo e<br /> tha<br /> 9<br /> yea s,<br /> f om<br /> July<br /> 1963<br /> to<br /> Novembe<br /> 1972,<br /> Va ove<br /> said.<br /> Fo me<br /> eside ts<br /> a d<br /> thei<br /> family<br /> membe s<br /> have<br /> take<br /> the<br /> oppo tu ities<br /> of<br /> the<br /> tow ’s<br /> eeme ge ces<br /> to<br /> hold<br /> eu io s<br /> i<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> i<br /> 1945,<br /> 1963,<br /> a d<br /> 2012.Today,<br /> the<br /> ui s<br /> a e<br /> accessible<br /> to<br /> visito s<br /> whe<br /> wate<br /> levels<br /> pe mit,<br /> allowi g<br /> them<br /> to<br /> walk<br /> the<br /> st eets<br /> of<br /> a<br /> tow<br /> that<br /> ma y<br /> assumed<br /> was<br /> go e<br /> fo eve .<br /> Lake<br /> Mead<br /> has<br /> eached<br /> a<br /> ew<br /> eco d<br /> low<br /> of<br /> 1,040.5<br /> feet,<br /> just<br /> 27%<br /> of<br /> its<br /> capacity.<br /> This<br /> mea s<br /> the<br /> hyd oelect ic<br /> powe<br /> ge e ated<br /> by<br /> the<br /> dam<br /> has<br /> bee<br /> sig ifica tly<br /> comp omised<br /> due<br /> to<br /> the<br /> d ought,<br /> which<br /> poses<br /> a<br /> majo<br /> th eat<br /> to<br /> wate<br /> supply<br /> ove all.<br /> It<br /> also<br /> mea s<br /> that<br /> the<br /> ice<br /> c eam<br /> pa lou s<br /> a d<br /> ciste s<br /> of<br /> St.<br /> Thomas<br /> a e<br /> ow<br /> exposed<br /> agai ,<br /> this<br /> time,<br /> it<br /> seems,<br /> fo<br /> the<br /> lo g<br /> haul.</p> <p><a h ef=Go to Sou ce

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