Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has fallen to a record low — yet another sign that the Colorado River system is spiraling further into crisis.
Water levels on Thursday in Lake Mead dropped to 1,040.5 feet, below the previous record low of 1,040.58 feet set in July 2022, according to data published by the US Bureau of Reclamation Friday. The lake is now lower than it’s ever been since it was created nine decades ago.
“Breaking the record is further evidence of the uncharted territory that the (Colorado River) Basin now finds itself,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University.
Lake Mead, which stretches along the Utah-Arizona border, was formed in the mid-1930s when the Hoover Dam was constructed on the Colorado River. The lake supplies water to more than 20 million people.
It’s one of the most important reservoirs on this vital waterway, along with Lake Powell, which experts also fear could reach record low levels in the next few weeks.
