Lake Mead drops to 1,040 ft as Colorado River crisis deepens

A
paddle
boat
i
Lake
Mead
ea
the
Hoove
Dam,
fa
below
the
bathtub
i g
of
light
mi e als
i dicati g
the
lack
of
wate ,
ea
Boulde
City,
Nev.,
o
F iday,
Aug.
7,
2026.
(AP
Photo/Ty
ONeil)

Lake
Mead,
the
la gest
ese voi
i
the
U ited
States,
has
eached
its
lowest
eco ded
level
si ce
it
was
c eated
ea ly
90
yea s
ago,
acco di g
to
AP
News.
The
ese voi
fell
to
1,040.4
feet
above
sea
level,
just
below
its
p evious
eco d
low
f om
July
2022.
At
the
same
time,
Lake
Powell,
the
cou t y’s
seco d-la gest
ese voi ,
emai s
da ge ously
depleted,
aisi g
co ce s
about
the
futu e
of
wate
supplies,
hyd opowe ,
ag icultu e,
wildlife,
a d
commu ities
ac oss
the
Southwest.The
two
ese voi s
a e
the
backbo e
of
the
Colo ado
Rive
system.
Togethe ,
they
help
ma age
wate
fo
oughly
40
millio
people
ac oss
seve
U.S.
states,
T ibal
commu ities,
a d
Mexico.
They
also
sto e
wate
f om
wet
yea s
so
cities
a d
fa ms
ca
co ti ue
eceivi g
supplies
du i g
p olo ged
d ought.But
afte
yea s
of
low
s owpack,
ext eme
heat,
d ought,
ove use,
a d
isi g
evapo atio ,
that
ese ve
is
apidly
sh i ki g.
The
questio
is
o
lo ge
simply
whethe
the
lakes
look
low.
It
is
what
would
happe
if
Lake
Powell
a d
Lake
Mead
fell
so
fa
that
they
could
o
lo ge
pe fo m
thei
most
impo ta t
fu ctio s.

A
eco d
low
ac oss
the
Colo ado
Rive
systemLake
Mead
is
held
back
by
Hoove
Dam
ea
Las
Vegas,
alo g
the
A izo a-Nevada
bo de .
Its
ece t
decli e
eflects
st ess
ac oss
the
e ti e
Colo ado
Rive
Basi ,
pa ticula ly
i
the
Rocky
Mou tai s,
whe e
melti g
s ow
p ovides
much
of
the
ive ’s
a ual
flow.The
basi
expe ie ced
its
wo st
s owpack
o
eco d
du i g
the
past
wi te ,
addi g
p essu e
to
a
ive
system
al eady
st uggli g
with
ch o ic
d ought
a d
decades
of
dema d
exceedi g
atu al
supplies.
Both
Lake
Mead
a d
Lake
Powell
a e
ow
at
levels
ot
see
i
ea ly
seve
decades,
while
the
combi ed
sto age
of
the
two
ese voi s
has
falle
to
a
histo ic
low,
acco di g
to
CNN.The
co seque ces
a e
al eady
visible.
Boat
amps
a d
ma i as
have
had
to
close,
move,
o
be
ebuilt
as
sho eli es
et eat.
At
Lake
Powell,
visito s
face
i c easi gly
difficult
access
to
the
wate ,
while
ec eatio -based
busi esses
a ou d
both
ese voi s
a e
losi g
i come.The
c isis
has
also
fo ced
fede al
officials
to
make
difficult
choices.
The
Bu eau
of
Reclamatio
ece tly
p oposed
that
A izo a,
Califo ia,
a d
Nevada,
the
th ee
Lowe
Basi
states,
educe
thei
wate
use.
Howeve ,
the
states
have
st uggled
to
ag ee
o
how
the
cuts
should
be
dist ibuted
ove
the
lo g
te m,
acco di g
to
PBS.Hyd opowe
would
be
affected
fi stThe
fi st
majo
ope atio al
wa i g
would
likely
come
f om
hyd opowe
p oductio .At
Gle
Ca yo
Dam,
which
holds
back
Lake
Powell,
elect icity
ge e atio
depe ds
o
the
p essu e
c eated
by
the
height
of
the
wate
above
the
tu bi es.
As
the
ese voi
level
falls,
that
p essu e
weake s.
Lake
Powell
is
about
23%
full
a d
has
bee
epo ted
to
be
o ly
a
few
doze
feet
above
the
elevatio
at
which
Gle
Ca yo
Dam
ca
o
lo ge
ge e ate
elect icity,
as
pe
AP
News.The
dam
has
a
i stalled
ge e ati g
capacity
of
app oximately
1,320
megawatts.
Its
elect icity
is
dist ibuted
ac oss
seve al
Weste
states
a d
suppo ts
mu icipalities,
i igatio
dist icts,
u al
coope atives,
gove me t
age cies,
a d
T ibal
commu ities.A
shutdow
would
ot
automatically
plu ge
the
Southwest
i to
da k ess.
The
egio al
powe
g id
i cludes
atu al
gas,
coal,
uclea ,
sola ,
wi d,
a d
othe
sou ces.
But
Gle
Ca yo
Dam
offe s
flexible
powe
that
ca
espo d
quickly
to
pe iods
of
high
dema d,
such
as
hot
summe
afte oo s,
o
whe
sola
a d
wi d
ge e atio
d ops.Replaci g
that
powe
could
lead
to
highe
elect icity
p ices
a d
g eate
p essu e
o
smalle
utilities
a d
i igatio
dist icts.
Reve ue
f om
fede al
hyd opowe
also
helps
suppo t
dam
mai te a ce,
sali ity-co t ol
p og ams,
e vi o me tal
p ojects,
a d
othe
Colo ado
Rive
i itiatives.
Losi g
those
sales
would
the efo e
c eate
fi a cial
co seque ces
beyo d
the
powe
g id.Hoove
Dam
would
face
a
simila
p oblem
as
Lake
Mead
falls.
The
dam
ca
co ti ue
eleasi g
wate
afte
its
tu bi es
stop
ope ati g,
but
its
elect icity
p oductio
decli es
as
the
ese voi
loses
hyd aulic
p essu e.
The
loss
of
hyd opowe
at
both
dams
would
make
a
al eady
st ai ed
Weste
e e gy
system
mo e
expe sive
a d
less
flexible.Dead
pool
would
th eate
wate
delive ies“Dead
pool”
does
ot
mea
a
ese voi
co tai s
o
wate .
It
mea s
the
wate
su face
has
falle
below
the
lowest
outlet
that
ca
elease
sto ed
wate
dow st eam
th ough
the
existi g
i f ast uctu e.Fo
Lake
Powell,
the
mi imum
powe
pool
is
ge e ally
associated
with
a
elevatio
ea
3,490
feet.
Hyd opowe
ca
stop
befo e
the
ese voi
eaches
its
absolute
dead-pool
level,
but
wate
may
still
pass
th ough
lowe
outlet
st uctu es
fo
a
time.
If
the
lake
falls
too
fa ,
howeve ,
eleases
would
become
i c easi gly
difficult
a d
less
eliable.At
that
poi t,
Lake
Powell
would
o
lo ge
fu ctio
as
the
Uppe
Basi ’s
d ought
ese ve.
The
ese voi
cu e tly
allows
ma age s
to
sto e
wate
du i g
st o g
s owmelt
yea s
a d
elease
it
g adually
du i g
d y
pe iods.
Without
that
buffe ,
dow st eam
flows
would
depe d
much
mo e
di ectly
o
the
amou t
of
wate
a ivi g
i
a
pa ticula
seaso .Some
elief
might
come
with
a
wet
wi te ,
but
a
bad
s ow
yea
would
be
felt
mo e
quickly
by
commu ities
a d
fa ms.
Wate
timi g
is
as
impo ta t
as
total
qua tity.
C ops
eed
wate
fo
g owi g
seaso s.
Cities
eed
steady
supplies.
Dow st eam
ese voi s
eed
scheduled
eleases.Lake
Mead
is
eve
mo e
impo ta t
fo
the
Lowe
Basi .
Hoove
Dam’s
i take
st uctu es
allow
wate
to
move
towa d
A izo a,
Califo ia,
a d
Mexico.
If
Lake
Mead
fell
to
app oximately
895
feet,
the
ese voi
would
each
the
dead-pool
th eshold
fo
those
existi g
i takes,
mea i g
sto ed
wate
could
o
lo ge
pass
th ough
Hoove
Dam
i
the
o mal
way.Legal
wate
ights
would
ot
solve
that
physical
p oblem.
A
state,
fa m,
city,
o
i igatio
dist ict
may
have
a
se io
claim
to
Colo ado
Rive
wate ,
but
that
e titleme t
ca ot
move
wate
th ough
a
i take
that
is
o
lo ge
subme ged.A izo a,
Califo ia,
a d
Mexico
would
face
diffe e t
isksA izo a
would
likely
expe ie ce
some
of
the
ea liest
a d
deepest
eductio s.
Much
of
the
Ce t al
A izo a
P oject
has
ju io
p io ity
withi
the
Lowe
Basi ,
a d
ag icultu al
use s
have
al eady
abso bed
sig ifica t
cuts
u de
existi g
sho tage
ules.If
the
ive
could
o
lo ge
supply
the
Ce t al
A izo a
P oject,
fa ms
i
ce t al
A izo a
could
face
exte sive
fallowi g.
Some
g owe s
might
tu
to
g ou dwate ,
but
i c eased
pumpi g
would
aise
costs
a d
wo se
p oblems
such
as
aquife
depletio ,
la d
subside ce,
faili g
wells,
a d
g ou d
fissu es.Phoe ix
a d
Tucso
would
ot
immediately
u
out
of
wate .
Both
cities
have
g ou dwate ,
co se vatio
p og ams,
eclaimed
wate ,
sto age
ese ves,
a d
othe
sou ces.
The
Phoe ix
a ea
also
eceives
supplies
f om
the
Salt
a d
Ve de
ive s.
Still,
a
p olo ged
loss
of
Colo ado
Rive
wate
would
likely
b i g
tighte
outdoo -use
est ictio s,
highe
wate
costs,
st icte
developme t
ules,
a d
majo
i vestme ts
i
ecycli g
a d
alte ative
supplies.Califo ia’s
se io
wate
ights
would
p ovide
p otectio
du i g
o di a y
sho tages,
pa ticula ly
fo
ag icultu al
dist icts
such
as
those
i
the
Impe ial
a d
Coachella
valleys.
But
those
ights
would
ot
gua a tee
delive ies
if
Hoove
Dam
could
o
lo ge
elease
sto ed
wate .Southe
Califo ia
has
a
mo e
va ied
wate
po tfolio,
i cludi g
supplies
f om
No the
Califo ia,
local
g ou dwate ,
ese voi s,
co se vatio ,
ecycli g,
a d
the
Colo ado
Rive
Aqueduct.
That
dive sity
could
help
cities
ma age
a
tempo a y
dis uptio .
The
situatio
would
become
fa
mo e
seve e
if
Colo ado
Rive
failu e
occu ed
alo gside
d ought
i
the
Sie a
Nevada.Mexico
would
face
a
majo
t eaty
a d
huma ita ia
challe ge.
The
1944
Wate
T eaty
ge e ally
p ovides
Mexico
with
1.5
millio
ac e-feet
of
Colo ado
Rive
wate
each
yea ,
although
bi atio al
ag eeme ts
allow
eductio s
du i g
sho tages.
If
eleases
th ough
the
Lowe
Basi
system
stopped
altogethe ,
ag icultu e
i
Mexico’s
Mexicali
Valley
a d
commu ities
i
Baja
Califo ia
would
eed
to
ely
mo e
heavily
o
g ou dwate ,
co se vatio ,
euse,
t a sfe s,
o
eme ge cy
supplies.Las
Vegas
has
a
u usual
adva tageSouthe
Nevada
has
i vested
heavily
i
i f ast uctu e
desig ed
to
keep
Las
Vegas
co ected
to
Lake
Mead
as
the
lake
decli es.
A
deep-wate
i take
a d
low-lake-level
pumpi g
statio
allow
the
Southe
Nevada
Wate
Autho ity
to
d aw
wate
f om
elevatio s
below
Hoove
Dam’s
o di a y
i take
th eshold.That
gives
Las
Vegas
mo e
time
tha
ma y
othe
commu ities.
The
city
also
ecycles
most
i doo
wate :
wastewate
f om
showe s,
si ks,
a d
toilets
is
t eated
a d
etu ed
to
Lake
Mead.
Outdoo
i igatio ,
by
co t ast,
co sumes
wate
th ough
evapo atio
a d
pla t
g owth.Eve
Las
Vegas
would
ot
have
u limited
p otectio .
If
the
lake
co ti ued
falli g,
pumpi g
would
become
mo e
difficult
a d
expe sive.
The
city’s
ability
to
mai tai
supplies
would
depe d
o
co se vatio
a d
limiti g
wate
that
is
pe ma e tly
co sumed.

A
tou ist
takes
a
photo
of
Lake
Mead
ea
Boulde
City,
Nev.,
o
F iday,
Aug.
7,
2026.
(AP
Photo/Ty
ONeil)

Wildlife
a d
tou ism
a e
also
at
iskThe
ese voi s’
decli e
would
affect
mo e
tha
people
a d
powe
systems.
Lake
Powell
eleases
elatively
cold
wate
f om
deep
withi
the
ese voi ,
helpi g
shape
the
tempe atu e
of
the
Colo ado
Rive
th ough
the
G a d
Ca yo .
As
wate
levels
fall
a d
eleases
become
wa me ,
i vasive
fish
such
as
smallmouth
bass
may
fi d
mo e
favo able
co ditio s.That
is
a
co ce
fo
ative
species,
i cludi g
the
th eate ed
humpback
chub.
Fede al
officials
have
al eady
made
decisio s
about
how
to
ma age
cold
wate
eleases
f om
Gle
Ca yo
Dam
while
t yi g
to
p otect
both
hyd opowe
ope atio s
a d
ative
fish
habitat.Rec eatio
would
suffe
well
befo e
eithe
ese voi
eached
dead
pool.
Boat
amps
become
u usable
as
sho eli es
et eat,
a d
ma i as
a d
oads
must
be
epeatedly
elocated.
Commu ities
ea
Lake
Mead
a d
Lake
Powell
could
lose
i come
f om
boati g,
fishi g,
lodgi g,
equipme t
e tals,
a d
tou ism.A
c isis
that
would
u fold
i
stagesA
simulta eous
failu e
of
Lake
Powell
a d
Lake
Mead
is
ot
a
ove ight
sce a io,
o
is
it
the
cu e t
fede al
fo ecast.
Fede al
ma age s
a e
taki g
steps
to
p otect
c itical
elevatio s,
i cludi g
educi g
pla ed
eleases
f om
Lake
Powell
a d
movi g
wate
f om
upst eam
ese voi s.Neve theless,
the
isks
a e
clea .
Gle
Ca yo
Dam
could
lose
hyd opowe
fi st,
followed
by
Hoove
Dam.
Lowe
outlet
st uctu es
might
p ese ve
some
wate
moveme t
fo
a
time,
but
eve tually
delive ies
to
fa ms,
cities,
a d
Mexico
would
become
i c easi gly
u eliable
if
the
ese voi s
fell
below
thei
usable
i take
elevatio s.The
Colo ado
Rive
itself
would
ot
disappea .
S owmelt,
ai fall,
a d
t ibuta y
flows
would
co ti ue
e te i g
the
system.
What
would
disappea
is
the
sto ed
ese ve
that
allows
the
Southwest
to
su vive
d y
yea s.Recove i g
f om
such
a
sce a io
would
equi e
mo e
tha
o e
wet
wi te .
The
ese voi s
would
eed
seve al
yea s
of
st o g
u off,
while
states,
cities,
fa ms,
a d
i dust ies
educed
co sumptio
e ough
to
let
wate
emai
i
sto age.
Without
sustai ed
cha ges
i
dema d,
the
Colo ado
Rive
could
co ti ue
flowi g
—
but
the
system
built
to
co t ol,
sto e,
a d
dist ibute
it
would
o
lo ge
fu ctio
as
it
does
today.(With
i puts
f om
AP)

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