Lake Mead Is Now Drier Than Before the Reservoir Was Filled

It seems that Lake Mead is not deserving of its title. Another historic low has been reached by the water body. It was still being filled for the first time in April 1937. According to the NASA Earth Observatory, it is 27% of its full capacity. Satellite images from NASA show a stark illustration of the situation.

It was a stretch of the Colorado River. The construction of the Hoover Dam began in 1931. The river filled to capacity over time.

When the surface water level became higher than the elevation of the Hoover Dam's upper outlet, the dam was able to release water into the Lower Colorado River. Since the first crossing of the lake, it hadn't fallen below that threshold. The dam's upper outlet is 1,045 feet above sea level and the water is at just 1,040 feet.

The lake level was higher last year. The water level was higher in 2020. For the past 22 years, the water level of the lake has trended downward, but this is the first time that it has reached the point of no return.

Climate change is one of the factors contributing to the current benchmark of decline. Demand for water from the Colorado River has remained high despite increased water restrictions.

Some of the low levels are because federal officials decided to reduce water releases to Lake Mead, in favor of preserving the levels at Lake Powell upstream, which is at just 27% of its capacity, due to the ongoing dry spell.