LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Lake Mead has dropped more than 6 feet since March 1 and now sits just 20 feet above its all-time low from July 2022, with water levels expected to fall even lower soon.
The dropping water level has created challenges for boaters and raised questions about Southern Nevada’s water supply. FOX5 spoke with boaters and the Southern Nevada Water Authority about the conditions.
“I was shocked when I came down and saw how low the water was,” said Ron Klug, a longtime boater.
Signs at the lake show how high the water was in 2021 and 2018. Land that was once underwater is now exposed, with enough space for a new walkway and bathroom before the boat launch. The ring around the lake and islands show how high water once was decades ago.
MORE ON FOX5: National Park Service prepares for projected historic low water level at Lake Mead in Nevada
Boaters face difficult conditions
Rob Sanford, a longtime boater and owner of Boulder City Bass Tackle, said he has seen Lake Mead completely full in the early 80s.
Klug added, “I was here 15 years ago, and it was nothing like this. I mean, there was no concern over water. The levels were high. It wasn’t hard to launch your boats or your jet skis or anything like that, but now it’s really bad.”
Boaters are warned to launch at their own risk due to the low lake level. The Park Service is working to extend the launch ramp at Hemenway Harbor deeper into the water, causing traffic jams during busy times.
“On a weekend, yes, it will take anywhere up to an hour and a half or two hours to get out,” said Cody Steckel, a fishing guide with Steckel Fishing.
Boaters will need to look out for things once submerged like rocks and old boats at the surface of the lake.
Water authority says supply is secure
Bronson Mack, outreach manager with the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said the conditions on the Colorado River are extremely dry.
“We had a very low snowpack over this past winter,” Mack said.
Most water in Lake Mead comes from snowpack. As the hottest months of the year are still ahead, the water level is expected to continue to drop.
Lake Mead is sitting at just under 35% capacity and the reservoir could drop another 16 or more feet before the end of the year according to Mack.
Mack said that even with dropping lake levels, Southern Nevada’s water supply is secure.
“We are drawing water from the deepest part of the lake. Our pumping station can pump to the deepest elevations,” Mack said.
The water authority said this is a critical situation that the entire Colorado River basin is reckoning with. According to federal projections released last month, Lake Mead will reach new, record-low water levels by November 2027, potentially dropping to approximately 1,032 feet — 8 feet lower than the previous record low in 2022.
Conservation efforts show results
While mother nature is by far the biggest factor in lake level, Southern Nevada has made changes in the last 25 years when it comes to conservation.
The community has reduced its consumption of water from Lake Mead by 44%, while the population has increased by 55%.
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