Lake Mead, North America’s largest artificial reservoir, formed on the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona, has shrunk to historic lows—dropping to about 30 percent of its capacity. The reservoir is a major source of water for Arizona, Nevada, and California, as well as part of Mexico, serving nearly 25 million people and huge agricultural areas. A combination of drought, climate change, and growing regional demand for water have driven the reservoir to its lowest levels since the 1930s; its water level is now 1,050 feet (and falling), down from an all-time high of 1,225 feet in 1983.
Water Levels in Lake Mead Reach Record Lows
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A formerly sunken boat sits on cracked earth hundreds of feet from what is now the shoreline at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, photographed on May 9, 2022, near Boulder City. #
John Locher / AP -
(1 of 3) An archival image from 1983 shows a view of Lake Mead at its highest water level ever. On July 5, 1983, this aerial photograph shows Hoover Dam, where the level was recorded at 1,225.44 feet. Overflow water is seen running into side spillways (at top and bottom of photo). #
Bob Riha Jr / Getty -
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(3 of 3) This archival photo taken on July 5, 1983, shows Lake Mead at its historic high water level, with overflow water cascading into the spillways of Hoover Dam. #
Bob Riha Jr / Getty -
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Visitors retrieve a boat from a launch ramp extended multiple times as a result of worsening low water levels at the Lake Mead Marina in Boulder City on May 5, 2022. #
Patrick T. Fallon / AFP / Getty -
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This April 25, 2022, photo provided by the Southern Nevada Water Authority shows the top of Lake Mead drinking-water Intake No. 1 above the surface level of the Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam. #
Southern Nevada Water Authority / AP -
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