Hoover Dam’s Lake Mead Hits Lowest Water Levels Since the 1930s
by Gia Yetikyel/Smithsonianmag.com
Lake Mead hit record-low water levels last week, highlighting the severe drought sweeping through the western United States, report Reuters’ Daniel Trotta and Andrea Januta.
Formed by damming the Colorado River, the body of water is technically a reservoir of the Hoover Dam. As of last week, the reservoir is just 200 feet above “dead pool” level, the point in which water cannot pass through Hoover Dam. A white “bathtub ring” on the lake’s shores marks how much water has retreated over time. At only 36 percent of full capacity, the water level is decreasing at a faster rate than previously projected, reports Ian James for Arizona Republic.
Constructed in 1937, Lake Mead is one of the largest human-made lakes in the world, covering up to 248 square miles when full, reports Matthew Cappucci for the Washington Post. The reservoir is considered at full capacity when water rises to 1,219.6 feet above sea level, but it’s able to hold a maximum of 1,229 feet of water. In 1983, the lake reached its highest recorded water level at 1,225 feet.
Since 2000, the water level has dropped 140 feet, Reuters reports. The previous record its low water level was 1,071.6 feet in 2016. Read More:
Carol graduated from Riverside White Cross School of Nursing in Columbus, Ohio and received her diploma as a registered nurse. She attended Bowling Green State University where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature. She attended the University of Toledo, College of Nursing, and received a Master’s of Nursing Science Degree as an Educator.
She has traveled extensively, is a photographer, and writes on medical issues. Carol has three children RJ, Katherine, and Stephen – one daughter-in-law; Katie – two granddaughters; Isabella Marianna and Zoe Olivia – and one grandson, Alexander Paul. She also shares her life with her husband Gordon Duff, many cats, and two rescues.
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Lake Powell that is high up above Lake Mead, controls the elevation of Lake Mead, as the evaporation is much less at the higher Lake Powell elevation. That is what they tell you when you tour Hoover Dam. They lose less water from evaporation by keeping more water in Lake Powell.
Why don’t they build large pipelines that could bring eastern flood waters to the western USA, and visa versa reversed if needed ?
Run some of the excess Missouri River flooding under the Sierra Mountains to the western side. Bring all flood waters in the eastern USA to the drought western USA.
Everyone knows that there will be times when it will be needed again and again.
Hopeingod, Good ideas. Pipelines for water not for oil. It does seem like parts of the U.S. get drenched while others are in drought situations. Move that water around to where it is needed.
The reservoir dam across the highway from my house really needed to be upgraded.
The lake level is down while its dirt fill bases are widened, the height is increased and a new spillway is formed.
Bakersfield got 2 inches of its average 5 inches of rain.
We are in a drought and building storage for the next cycle of rain.
This is typical California weather.
In June of 2019, all of California’s 12 major reservoirs were full, with enough water to survive a five-year drought. However, the California State Water Board ordered the emptying of much of this water into the ocean, allegedly to save several species of fish. Some are also claiming this had to be done because the dams were in extremely poor conditions. IMO, this is a an extremely lame and transparent excuse. How many years did these reservoirs serve the state of California with an adequate supply of water? And now, all of a sudden, they have to be emptied. That’s b.s., pure and simple.
James Robert Calvert, It flies past me that adding freshwater into salt water would accomplish anything positive for the salt water group. The fresh water is going to quickly dissipate and mix with the salt water. Here in Ottawa County MI, we have a very low water table now that is affecting our pond which is the home to fish, frogs, etc. Lake Michigan’s level has gone down this spring after flooding shores, overtaking beaches, causing much erosion last year and the years before. The melt from last year’s snow, while it created what seemed to be a huge annex for the pond the year before, this spring did not add to the level of the pond. I see blueberry farms being irrigated and know that the water is coming from the water table, even though some are located near the Grand River which could surely be tapped into for water. Especially since it was overflowing its banks last year. Water is so valuable….. We want and need rain
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