{{Short description|Reservoir on the Colorado River in Arizona and Nevada}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}} {{Infobox body of water | name = Lake Mead | image = File:Lake Mead in July 2022 by Landsat.jpg | caption = Satellite imagery from Landsat 8 of Lake Mead in July 2022 during the 2020–23 North American drought | image_bathymetry = | caption_bathymetry = | location = Clark County, Nevada and Mohave County, Arizona | coords = {{Coord|36.25|N|114.39|W|region:US_type:waterbody_scale:500000|display = inline,title}} | lake_type = Reservoir | inflow = Colorado River, Virgin River | outflow = Colorado River | catchment = | basin_countries = United States | date-flooded = {{Start date and age|1935|9|30}} by the Hoover Dam | length = {{convert|120|mi|km|abbr = on}} | width = | area = {{convert|247|mi2|km2|abbr = on}} | depth = | max-depth = {{cvt|532|ft|m}} | volume = ''Maximum'': {{convert|26134000|acre.ft|km3|abbr = on}} | residence_time = | shore = {{convert|759|mi|km|abbr = on}} | elevation = ''Maximum'': {{convert|1229|ft|m|abbr = on}} | islands = | cities = <!-- Map --> | pushpin_map = Nevada#USA | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = Location of Lake Mead in Nevada, USA. | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_mapsize = 180 <!-- Below -->| website = [https://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm Lake Mead National Recreation Area] | reference = }}
'''Lake Mead''' is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. It is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, {{convert|24|mi|abbr=on}} east of Las Vegas. It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity. Lake Mead provides water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada as well as some of Mexico, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and large areas of farmland.<ref>{{cite web|website=Ecowatch|url=http://ecowatch.com/2015/04/28/drought-lake-mead-historic-low/|date=April 28, 2015|title=Drought: Lake Mead is at an Historic Low|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925121757/http://ecowatch.com/2015/04/28/drought-lake-mead-historic-low/|archive-date=September 25, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
At maximum capacity, Lake Mead is {{convert|112|mi}} long, {{convert|532|feet}} at its greatest depth, has a surface elevation of {{convert|1229|feet}} above sea level, has a surface area of {{convert|247|sqmi}}, and contains {{convert|28.23|e6acre.ft|km3}} of water.
The lake has remained below full capacity since 1983 owing to drought and increased water demand.<ref>{{cite book|title=USGS Circular 1381: A Synthesis of Aquatic Science for Management of Lakes Mead and Mohave|year=2012|page=11|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1381/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814010621/http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1381/|archive-date=August 14, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="usbrfaq">{{cite web|url=http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/lakefaqs.html|title=Bureau of Reclamation: Lower Colorado Region – Hoover Dam: Lake Mead FAQs|author=Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region, Hoover Dam Web Designer|website=Usbr.gov|access-date=December 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520123627/http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/lakefaqs.html|archive-date=May 20, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author = Ferrari, Ronald L. |url = http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/sediment/projects/ReservoirSurveys/Reports/2001%20Lake%20Mead%20Sedimentation%20Survey.pdf |title = 2001 Lake Mead Sedimentation Survey |website = U.S. Bureau of Reclamation |date = February 2008 |access-date = February 26, 2012 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120921185619/http://www.usbr.gov/pmts/sediment/projects/ReservoirSurveys/Reports/2001%20Lake%20Mead%20Sedimentation%20Survey.pdf |archive-date = September 21, 2012 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> On May 31, 2022, Lake Mead held {{Percentage|7517000|28230000|2}} of full capacity at {{convert|7.517|e6acre ft|Ml|abbr=off|sp=us}}, having dropped in June 2021 below the reservoir's previous all-time low of {{convert|9.328|e6acre ft|Ml|abbr=off|sp=us}} recorded in July 2016, and never returning to that level.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lake Mead Water Database|url=http://lakemead.water-data.com/?use_af=1.9835|access-date=2021-06-10|website=lakemead.water-data.com|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref> By December 2024, following the implementation of water conservation measures, Lake Mead's water levels had risen by 16 feet again over two years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Rode |first=Erin |date=2024-12-10 |title=America's largest reservoir is filling up with water thanks to California |url=https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/americas-largest-reservoir-filling-up-19969496.php |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=SFGATE |language=en}}</ref>
== History == thumb|150px|left|Elwood Mead
In the area that was chosen to become Lake Mead, native Americans referred to as Ancestral Puebloans settled in the area. Many archaeological sites were submerged by the creation of Lake Mead, including the most representative, which is referred to as the "Lost City".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Lost City |url=https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/the-lost-city.htm |website=National Park Service |publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior}}</ref> The lake was named after Elwood Mead,<ref>{{cite book |author1=Mildred Bray |editor1-last=Kearns |editor1-first=Howard |editor2-last=Hunter |editor2-first=Noah |title=Origin of Nevada place names |publisher=THE NEVADA STATE WRITERS' PROJECT DIVISION OF CONUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION |url=http://dwgateway.library.unr.edu/keck/histtopoNV/Origin_of_Place_Names_Files/1941NevadaOriginofNames-pt1.pdf |access-date=6 January 2022}}</ref> who was the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936, during the planning and construction of the Boulder Canyon Project that created the dam and lake. Lloyd Joseph Hudlow, an engineer with the Bureau of Reclamation, came to Boulder City in March 1933 to assist in the survey, and ended up as the project manager.<ref>[https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8443/xmlui/handle/2376/3419 The Powwow. October 1956. Washington State College Alumni Association] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417123637/https://research.wsulibs.wsu.edu:8443/xmlui/handle/2376/3419 |date=April 17, 2021 }}</ref>
Lake Mead was established as the Boulder Dam Recreation Area in 1936, administered by the National Park Service.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Dodd |first=Douglas W. |date=2006-12-01 |title=Boulder Dam Recreation Area: The Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the Origins of the National Recreation Area Concept at Lake Mead 1929-1936 |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/scq/article-abstract/88/4/431/87377/Boulder-Dam-Recreation-Area-The-Bureau-of?redirectedFrom=fulltext |journal=Southern California Quarterly |volume=88 |issue=4 |pages=431–473 |doi=10.2307/41172340 |jstor=41172340 |issn=0038-3929|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The name was changed to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in 1947, and Lake Mohave and the Shivwits Plateau were later added to its jurisdiction.<ref name=time>{{cite web |title=Lake Mead National Recreation Area: Historic Timeline |publisher=National Park Service |url=https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/news/timeline.htm |access-date=2013-11-15}}</ref> Both lakes and the surrounding area offer year-round recreation options.
The accumulated water from Hoover Dam forced the evacuation of several communities, most notably St. Thomas, Nevada, the last resident of which left the town in 1938.<ref name="la1"/> The ruins of St. Thomas are currently visible (as of May 23, 2022) via dirt road and hiking trail, due to Lake Mead's low water level.<ref name="la1">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-oct-16-na-reappear16-story.html |title=It's a Historic Drought |author=Scott Gold |access-date=26 August 2009 |date=October 16, 2004 |work=Los Angeles Times |url-status=live |archive-url=http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20110814102454/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/oct/16/nation/na-reappear16 |archive-date=August 14, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Lake Mead also covered the sites of the Colorado River landings of Callville and Rioville, Nevada, and the river crossing of Bonelli's Ferry, between Arizona and Nevada. Six years after the dam's construction, the lake filled to an elevation of 1200 feet.<ref>[https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html Lower Colorado River Operations]</ref>
At lower water levels, a high-water mark is visible in photos that show the shoreline of Lake Mead. The high-water mark is white because of the deposition of minerals on previously submerged surfaces.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1864440,00.html?imw=Y |title=Dying for a Drink |author=Bryan Walsh |access-date=26 August 2009 |date=4 December 2008 |magazine=Time |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104021330/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1864440,00.html?imw=Y |archive-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Drought - Lake Mead National Recreation Area |publisher=National Park Service |url=https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/drought.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415133205/https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/drought.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2017 |access-date=2021-06-11}}</ref>
==Geography== {{Unreferenced section|date=December 2024}}thumb|right|Aerial view of Lake Mead in August 2010 [[File:Lake mead.jpg|thumb|Lake Mead from space in November 1985: North is facing downward to the right. The Colorado River can be seen leading southward away from the lake on the top left. The Hoover Dam is located where the river meets the lake.]] thumb|right|Sediment-laden water from the Colorado River flowing into Lake Mead in March 2013.
Nine main access points to the lake are available. On the west are three roads from the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Access from the north-west from Interstate 15 is through the Valley of Fire State Park and the Moapa River Indian Reservation to the Overton Arm of the lake.
The lake is divided into several bodies. The large body closest to the Hoover Dam is Boulder Basin. The narrow channel, which was once known as Boulder Canyon and is now known as The Narrows, connects Boulder Basin to Virgin Basin to the east. The Virgin River and Muddy River empty into the Overton Arm, which is connected to the northern part of the Virgin Basin. The next basin to the east is Temple Basin, and following that is Gregg Basin, which is connected to the Temple Basin by the Virgin Canyon.
When the lake levels are high enough, a section of the lake farther upstream from the Gregg Basin is flooded, which includes Grand Wash Bay, the Pearce Ferry Bay and launch ramp, and about {{convert|55|mi|km}} of the Colorado River within the lower Grand Canyon, extending to the foot of 240 Mile Rapids (north of Peach Springs, Arizona). In addition, two small basins, the Muddy River Inlet and the Virgin River Basin, are flooded when the lake is high enough where these two rivers flow into the lake. As of February 2015, these basins remain dry.
Jagged mountain ranges surround the lake, offering a scenic backdrop, especially at sunset. Two mountain ranges are within view of the Boulder Basin, the River Mountains, oriented northwest to southeast and the Muddy Mountains, oriented west to northeast. Bonelli Peak lies to the east of the Virgin Basin.
Las Vegas Bay is the terminus for the Las Vegas Wash which is the sole outflow from the Las Vegas Valley.
== Drought and water usage issues == {{Main|Southwestern North American megadrought}}{{Overly detailed|date=December 2024}} Lake Mead receives the majority of its water from snow melt in the Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah Rocky Mountains. Inflows to the lake are largely moderated by the upstream Glen Canyon Dam, which is required to release around {{convert|8.23|e6acre.ft|Ml}} of water each year to Lake Mead under the Colorado River Compact. Releases from Hoover Dam have been over {{convert|9|e6acre.ft|Ml}} of water each year, which has led to declining levels in Lake Mead since 2000.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url=http://www.cap-az.com/documents/meetings/09-05-2013/12__CR_update_.pdf |title=Colorado River Update |publisher=Cap-az.com |access-date=13 December 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724001644/http://www.cap-az.com/documents/meetings/09-05-2013/12__CR_update_.pdf |archive-date=24 July 2014}}</ref>
Outflow, which includes evaporation and delivery to Arizona, California, Nevada, and Mexico<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ibwc.state.gov/Files/1944Treaty.pdf |title=Utilization of Waters of the Colorado and Tijuana Rivers and of the Rio Grande: Treaty Between the United States of America and Mexico |publisher=International Boundary and Water Commission |date=3 February 1944 |page=22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323011315/http://www.ibwc.state.gov/Files/1944Treaty.pdf |archive-date=23 March 2014 }}</ref> from Lake Mead is generally{{When|date=December 2024}} in the range of {{convert|9.5|to|9.7|e6acre.ft|ML|abbr=off|sp=us}}, resulting in a net annual deficit of about {{convert|1.2|e6acre.ft|ML}}.<ref name="auto"/> Farmers in California's Imperial Valley hold some of the oldest water rights and receive the largest share of water as of 2024.<ref name=":0" />
Before the filling of Lake Powell (a reservoir of similar size to Lake Mead) behind Glen Canyon Dam, the Colorado River flowed largely unregulated into Lake Mead, making Mead more vulnerable to drought. From 1953 to 1956, the water level fell from {{convert|1200|to|1085|ft|m}}. During the filling of Lake Powell from 1963 to 1965, the water level fell from {{convert|1205|to|1090|ft|m}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arachnoid.com/NaturalResources/|title= Lake Mead Water Levels|author=Paul Lutus|publisher=Arachnoid.com|access-date=December 13, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213201539/http://www.arachnoid.com/NaturalResources/|archive-date=February 13, 2015}}</ref> Many wet years from the 1970s to the 1990s filled both lakes to capacity,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|title=Lake Mead At Hoover Dam, End of Month Elevation (FEET)|website=www.usbr.gov|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008004101/http://www.usbr.gov/rsvrWater/faces/rvrOSMP.xhtml;jsessionid=cuHtyyivpEg7yoEEffDhwzGJ.wf81:rsvrwater|archive-date=October 8, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="usbr.gov">{{cite web|url=http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|title=Lower Colorado River Operations – Lower Colorado Region|first=Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Region Web|last=Team|website=www.usbr.gov|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328182646/https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|archive-date=March 28, 2018}}</ref> reaching a record high of {{convert|1225|ft}} in the summer of 1983.<ref name="usbr.gov"/>
In these decades prior to 2000, Glen Canyon Dam frequently released more than the required {{convert|8.23|e6acre.ft|ML}} to Lake Mead each year. That allowed Lake Mead to maintain a high water level despite releasing significantly more water than it is contracted for. Since 2000, the Colorado River has experienced the southwestern North American megadrought, with average or above-average conditions occurring in only five years (2005, 2008–2009, 2011 and 2014) in the first 16 years of the 21st century. Of any 16-year period in the last 60 years, 2000-2015 had the lowest water availability.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=City|first1=Mailing Address: 601 Nevada Way Boulder|last2=Us|first2=NV 89005 Phone: 702 293-8990 Contact|title=Drought - Lake Mead National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/drought.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415133205/https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/drought.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 15, 2017|access-date=2022-02-23|publisher=www.nps.gov}}</ref>
[[File:Water intake towers at Hoover Dam.jpg|thumb|Lake Mead in October 2021, as seen from the Hoover Dam with the white band showing the high water level]]
In June 2010, the lake was at 39% of its capacity,<ref name="Lake Levels/River Flow">{{Cite web|url=http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/edits/lake_levels.shtml|title=Lake Levels/River Flow|access-date=June 26, 2010|publisher=Arizona Game and Fish Department|year=2010|author=Arizona Game and Fish Department|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716011638/http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/edits/lake_levels.shtml|archive-date=July 16, 2010}}</ref> and on November 30, 2010, it reached {{convert|1081.94|ft|m}}, setting a new record monthly low.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html| title=Lake Mead at Hoover Dam, Elevation| author=U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation| access-date=February 17, 2011| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424024056/http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html| archive-date=April 24, 2011}}</ref> From mid-May 2011 to January 22, 2012, Lake Mead's water elevation increased from {{convert|1095.5|to|1134.52|ft|m}} after a heavy snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains prompted the release of an extra {{convert|3.3|e6acre.ft|ML}} from Glen Canyon into Lake Mead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Additional-Water-to-be-Released-from-Lake-Powell-to-Lake-Mead-Avoiding-Shortages-in-Lower-Basin-in-2012.cfm|title=Additional Water to be Released from Lake Powell to Lake Mead, Avoiding Shortages in Lower Basin in 2012|publisher=Home.doi.gov|access-date=December 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214113152/http://home.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Additional-Water-to-be-Released-from-Lake-Powell-to-Lake-Mead-Avoiding-Shortages-in-Lower-Basin-in-2012.cfm|archive-date=December 14, 2014}}</ref>
thumb|Cross-section of the Hoover Dam showing notable levels of Lake Mead
In 2012 and 2013, the Colorado River basin experienced its worst consecutive water years on record, prompting a low Glen Canyon release in 2014 – the lowest since 1963, during the initial filling of Lake Powell – in the interest of recovering the level of the upstream reservoir, which had fallen to less than 40% capacity as a result of the drought.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wrrc.arizona.edu/forecast-lake-powell|title=Reclamation Forecasts Low Lake Powell Water Release for 2014|date=October 16, 2013|publisher=Wrrc.arizona.edu|access-date=December 13, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214140247/https://wrrc.arizona.edu/forecast-lake-powell|archive-date=December 14, 2014}}</ref> Consequently, Lake Mead's level fell significantly, reaching a new record low in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
In 2014, its record low was {{convert|1081.82|ft|m}} on July 10, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada/lake-mead-sinks-record-low|title=Lake Mead sinks to a record low|first=Henry|last=Brean|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|access-date=December 13, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103032005/http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/nevada/lake-mead-sinks-record-low|archive-date=January 3, 2015}}</ref> On June 26, 2015, Lake Mead reached another new record low when it fell to {{convert|1074.71|ft|m}} for the first time since the lake was filled, which risked triggering drought restrictions. If the lake is below the elevation of 1,075 feet at the beginning of the water year, an official shortage declaration by the Bureau of Reclamation will enforce water rationing in Arizona and Nevada. The water year begins October 1 to coincide with seasonal Rocky Mountain snowfall, which produces most of the Colorado River's flow.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/24/lake-mead-low-water-shortage/29202475/|title=Lake Mead sinks to record low, risking water shortage|author=McGlade, Caitlin|work=USA Today|date=June 24, 2015|access-date=October 25, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028155353/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/06/24/lake-mead-low-water-shortage/29202475/|archive-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ksjd.org/post/colorado-river-reservoirs-start-water-year-lowest-point-filled#stream/0|title=Colorado River Reservoirs Start Water Year At Lowest Point Since Filled|website=.ksjd.org|date=October 16, 2018|access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524214516/https://www.ksjd.org/post/colorado-river-reservoirs-start-water-year-lowest-point-filled|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref>
thumb|A comparison of Lake Mead water levels from July 2000 to July 2015
Lake Mead's water level rebounded a few feet by October 2015 and avoided triggering the drought restrictions. The water level started falling in Spring 2016 and fell below the drought trigger level of 1,075 feet again in May 2016. It fell to a new record low of {{convert|1071.60|ft|m}} on July 1, 2016, before beginning to rebound slowly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://knau.org/post/lake-mead-drops-its-lowest-ever-level|title=Lake Mead Drops to its Lowest-Ever Level|first=Ryan|last=Heinsius|website=knau.org|date=July 15, 2016|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716132418/http://knau.org/post/lake-mead-drops-its-lowest-ever-level|archive-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref> Drought restrictions were narrowly avoided again when the lake level rose above 1,075 feet on September 28, 2016, three days before the deadline, and the Bureau of Land Reclamation did not issue a shortage declaration.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/science-and-technology/lake-mead-skirts-shortage-for-another-year/|title=Lake Mead skirts shortage for another year|publisher=reviewjournal.com|date=August 15, 2017|access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524215005/https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/science-and-technology/lake-mead-skirts-shortage-for-another-year/|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name="LAKE MEAD AT HOOVER DAM, END OF MON">{{cite web|url=https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|title=Lake Mead at Hoover Dam, End of Month Elevation (Feet)|website=usbr.gov|access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524214932/https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref>
A reprieve from the steady annual decline occurred in 2017, when lake levels rose throughout the year due to heavier than normal snowfall in the Rocky Mountains.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/full-snowpack-cause-small-increase-for-lake-mead-water-levels-but-nevada-still-in-drought/665004538|title=Full snowpack cause small increase for Lake Mead water levels, but Nevada still in drought|first=Katie|last=Boer|work=LASVEGASNOW |date=March 2, 2017|publisher=lasvegasnow.com|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013223551/http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/full-snowpack-cause-small-increase-for-lake-mead-water-levels-but-nevada-still-in-drought/665004538|archive-date=October 13, 2017}}</ref> As a result of the large snowmelt, the lake regained the water levels it had in 2015 with a seasonal high of {{convert|1089.77|ft|m}}. The seasonal low of {{convert|1078.96|ft|m}} in 2017 was close to that experienced in 2014, safely above the drought trigger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mead.uslakes.info/Level.asp|title=Lake Mead Water Level|first=Lakes|last=Online|website=mead.uslakes.info|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306114915/http://mead.uslakes.info/Level.asp|archive-date=March 6, 2018}}</ref> That level was still {{convert|36|ft}} below the seasonal low experienced in 2012, and the lake was projected to begin falling again in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/latest-forecast-shifts-lake-mead-from-big-gain-to-small-loss|title=Latest forecast shifts Lake Mead from big gain to small loss|date=June 16, 2017|website=reviewjournal.com|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827171453/https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/latest-forecast-shifts-lake-mead-from-big-gain-to-small-loss/|archive-date=August 27, 2017}}</ref>
Despite those and other predictions of an impending shortage determination by 2020, snowpack of 140% of average in the Upper Colorado River basin as of April 2019 resulted in 128% above average inflow into Lake Powell, resulting in {{convert|1090.20|ft|m|adj=on}} water level on Lake Mead.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-river-water-shortage-2569729456.html|title=Colorado River Reservoirs Start Water Year At Lowest Point Since Filled|date=October 17, 2018|website=ksjd.org/|access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524233054/https://www.ksjd.org/post/colorado-river-reservoirs-start-water-year-lowest-point-filled|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-river-water-shortage-2569729456.html|title=Unprecedented Colorado River Water Shortage Could Be Declared in 2020|date=May 17, 2018|website=ecowatch.com|access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524233910/https://www.ecowatch.com/colorado-river-water-shortage-2569729456.html|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref> In December 2019, Lake Mead water level reached {{convert|1090.47|ft|m}}, about {{convert|10|ft|spell=on|sp=us|0}} above projections. As of April, 2020, the water level stood at {{convert|1096.39|feet|m}}, again benefiting from above average mountain snowpack (107% of average).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.havasunews.com/news/water-table-expected-to-lower-at-lake-mead-despite-denser-snowpack/article_98fd17f0-8135-11ea-a8d1-17f3ee002cfa.html|title=Water table expected to lower at Lake Mead, despite denser snowpac|website=havasunews.com|date=April 17, 2020 |access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524220727/https://www.havasunews.com/news/water-table-expected-to-lower-at-lake-mead-despite-denser-snowpack/article_98fd17f0-8135-11ea-a8d1-17f3ee002cfa.html|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref>
From 2018 to early-2021, Lake Mead water levels remained well above the {{convert|1075|ft|m|adj=on}} level that would trigger a shortage determination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=65184|title=Reclamation's Colorado River Basin inflow projections reflect improved hydrological conditions in 2019|website=usbr.gov|access-date=May 23, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524220042/https://www.usbr.gov/newsroom/newsrelease/detail.cfm?RecordID=65184|archive-date=May 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name="LAKE MEAD AT HOOVER DAM, END OF MON"/> However, by mid-2021 its level fell below the trigger elevation and was projected to keep falling through 2022, which led the Bureau of Reclamation to declare a water shortage in August 2021. On July 28, 2022, the level was {{convert|1040.58|ft|m}}, the lowest level since 1937 when the reservoir was initially filled.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|title=Bureau of Reclamation - Lake Mead at Hoover Dam}}</ref> The lake has rebounded somewhat from its low point in 2022, but its level still remains below the drought threshold as of June 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lake Mead Water Database|url=http://lakemead.water-data.com/?use_af=1.9835|access-date=2024-06-25|website=lakemead.water-data.com|language=en|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
As a result of the decreasing water level, marinas and boat launch ramps have either had to be relocated to another area of the lake or have closed down permanently. The Las Vegas Bay Marina was relocated in 2002<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lasvegassun.com/news/2002/oct/01/weather-delaying-move-by-marina/|title=Weather delaying move by marina|date=October 1, 2002|publisher=lasvegassun.com|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304074128/http://lasvegassun.com/news/2002/oct/01/weather-delaying-move-by-marina/|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> and the Lake Mead Marina was relocated in 2008<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/lake-mead-marina-moved|title=Lake Mead Marina moved|date=February 10, 2008|website=reviewjournal.com|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065351/http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/lake-mead-marina-moved|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> to Hemenway Harbor. Overton Marina and Echo Bay Marina have been closed due to low levels in the northern part of the Overton Arm. Government Wash, Las Vegas Bay, and Pearce Ferry boat launch ramps have been closed. Las Vegas Boat Harbor and Lake Mead Marina in Hemenway Harbor/Horsepower Cove remain open, along with Callville Bay Marina, Temple Bar Marina, Boulder Launch Area (former location of the Lake Mead Marina) and the South Cove launch ramp.<ref>National Park Service</ref>
Changing rainfall patterns, climate variability, high levels of evaporation, reduced snow melt runoff, and current water use patterns are putting pressure on water management resources at Lake Mead as the population relying on it for water, and the Hoover Dam for electricity, continues to increase. To lower the minimum lake level necessary to generate electricity from {{convert|1050|ft}} to {{convert|950|ft}}, Hoover Dam was retrofitted with wide-head turbines, designed to work efficiently with less flow in 2015 and 2016.<ref name="WRRC">{{cite web| url=https://wrrc.arizona.edu/drought-diminishes-hydropower | title=Drought Diminishes Hydropower Capacity in Western U.S. | publisher=Water Resources Research Center | date=Winter 2015 | access-date=August 26, 2017 | author=Capehart, Mary Ann | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524215131/https://wrrc.arizona.edu/drought-diminishes-hydropower | archive-date=May 24, 2015 }}</ref>
If water levels continue to drop, Hoover Dam would cease generating electricity when the water level falls below {{convert|950|ft}} and the lake would stabilize at a level of {{convert|895|ft}} when the water reaches the lowest water outlet of the dam.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/nature/storage-capacity-of-lake-mead.htm|title=Storage Capacity of Lake Mead – Lake Mead National Recreation Area|publisher=www.nps.gov|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004131903/https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/nature/storage-capacity-of-lake-mead.htm|archive-date=October 4, 2017}}</ref> In order to ensure that the city of Las Vegas will continue to be able to draw its drinking water from Lake Mead, nearly $1.5 billion was spent on building a new water intake tunnel in the middle of the lake at the elevation of {{convert|860|ft}}.<ref name=HCN>{{cite news|last1=Jenkins|first1=Matt|title=The water czar who reshaped Colorado River politics|url=https://www.hcn.org/issues/47.4/the-water-czar-who-reshaped-colorado-river-politics|access-date=May 15, 2015|publisher=High Country News|issue=41|date=March 3, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516165221/http://www.hcn.org/issues/47.4/the-water-czar-who-reshaped-colorado-river-politics|archive-date=May 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popsci.com/article/science/last-straw-how-fortunes-las-vegas-will-rise-or-fall-lake-mead|title=Last Straw: How The Fortunes Of Las Vegas Will Rise Or Fall With Lake Mead|website=popsci.com|date=June 11, 2014|access-date=May 5, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922034021/http://www.popsci.com/article/science/last-straw-how-fortunes-las-vegas-will-rise-or-fall-lake-mead|archive-date=September 22, 2017}}</ref> The {{convert|3|mi||adj=on}} tunnel took seven years to build under the lake and was put into operation in late 2015.
According to a 2016 estimate, about 6% of Lake Mead's water evaporates annually. Covering 6% of Lake Mead with floating photovoltaics has a potential generating capacity of 3,400 megawatts, which is comparable to the capacity of Hoover Dam, and would reduce water lost to evaporation in the covered area by as much as 90%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Warburg |first=Philip |date=2016-06-29 |title=Floating Solar: A Win-Win for Drought-Stricken Lakes in U.S. |url=https://e360.yale.edu/features/floating_solar_a_win-win_for_drought-stricken_lakes_in_us |access-date=2022-04-03 |publisher=Yale Environment 360 |language=en-US}}</ref> A 2021 estimate found that covering 10% of the lake's surface with foam-backed floating photovoltaics could result in "enough water conserved and electricity generated to service Las Vegas and Reno combined."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hayibo |first=Koami Soulemane |date=2021 |title=Quantifying the Value of Foam-Based Flexible Floating Solar Photovoltaic Systems |url=https://www.agrisolarclearinghouse.org/quantifying-the-value-of-foam-based-flexible-floating-solar-photovoltaic-systems/ |access-date=2022-05-20 |publisher=AgriSolar Clearinghouse}}</ref>
In December 2021, with Lake Mead at 35% of capacity, Arizona, California, Nevada, and the U.S. Department of the Interior signed an agreement to spend $200 million for 2022 and 2023 to subsidize water users who voluntarily reduce their usage or undertake capital projects to improve efficiency. Along with a variety of state and local regulations, this "500+ Plan" aimed to retain an additional {{convert|500,000|acre-feet}} in the reservoir.<ref name="dec2021">{{cite news|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2021/dec/15/new-agreement-will-leave-more-water-in-lake-mead/ |title=New agreement will leave more water in Lake Mead |newspaper=Las Vegas Sun |author=Jessica Hill |date=December 15, 2021}}</ref> At the same time an agreement was reached with the Gila River Indian Community and the Colorado River Indian Tribes which was expected to save an estimated 11 vertical feet of reservoir water.<ref name="dec2021" /> In 2023 and 2024, several agreements between the United States Bureau of Reclamation, six water agencies from Southern California and the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe formalized a commitment to reduce water use by 1.6 million acre-feet by the end of 2026.<ref name=":0" /> In December 2024, the Colorado River Board of California announced that 75% of this commitment had been achieved already, with California's water uses having reached "their lowest levels since the 1940s", and that Lake Mead's water levels had risen by 16 feet within two years.<ref name=":0" />
In February 2025, climatologists confirmed that although Lakes Mead and Powell are in better shape than they had been in recent years, they are still only about 35% full.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rice |first=Doyle |title=Water crisis in West still looms as Lakes Mead and Powell only 35% full |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/02/20/water-crisis-in-west-looms-as-lakes-mead-and-powell-only-35-full/79212587007/ |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Anthropological role in forensics == Severe drought lowers the level of the lake, affording social anthropologists opportunities to study indigenous dwellings that were previously submerged. Meanwhile, their forensic colleagues are routinely called in whenever relatively contemporary remains of people are revealed, to investigate scientifically who the deceased might have been in life, how they died, and how their bodies got to the lake. For example, the 2020–2023 North American drought caused a series of unexplained human remains to be revealed, prompting speculation about how many more will be discovered as the water level recedes.<ref>Blackwell, Evelyn, ''[https://worldnewsera.com/news/us-news/bodies-pulled-from-parched-lake-mead-stir-wise-guy-ghosts-of-las-vegas/ Bodies Pulled From Parched Lake Mead Stir Wise-Guy Ghosts of Las Vegas]'', World News Era, May 20, 2022</ref> However, this is not the first time such mysteries have surfaced at Lake Mead:
* On or about June 16, 2011, a male body was discovered floating in Lake Mead near Callville Bay.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-06-17 |title=Man's body found in Lake Mead |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/mans-body-found-in-lake-mead/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=Las Vegas Review-Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> * On May 1, 2022, a body was found in a barrel which may have been stuck in mud since the late 1970s or early 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-02 |title=Body found in barrel in Lake Mead may date back to 1980s, more likely to appear as water recedes |url=https://www.8newsnow.com/i-team/i-team-body-found-in-barrel-in-lake-mead-may-date-back-to-1980s-more-likely-to-appear-as-water-recedes-las-vegas-police-say/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=KLAS |language=en-US}}</ref> Identification efforts have not been successful.<ref>{{cite news |last=Charns |first=David |date=1 May 2024 |title=Lake Mead body: 2 years later, barrel murder victim remains unidentified |url=https://www.8newsnow.com/investigators/lake-mead-body-2-years-later-barrel-murder-victim-remains-unidentified/|work=8 News Now |location= |publisher= |access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=White |first=Robyn |date=2022-08-09 |title=Lake Mead body found in barrel undergoing DNA test in hunt for identity |url=https://www.newsweek.com/lake-mead-body-found-barrel-undergoing-dna-test-hunt-identity-1732022 |access-date=2022-09-07 |website=Newsweek |language=en}}</ref> * On May 7, 2022, the remains of Thomas Erndt were found. Erndt died of an apparent drowning in 2002, but his body was never found.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elamroussi |first=Paradise Afshar, Aya |date=2022-08-25 |title=Human remains found in receding Lake Mead identified as man who reportedly drowned two decades ago, officials say |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/25/us/lake-mead-human-remains-identified/index.html |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> * By August 15, 2022, four more bodies had been found.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-07 |title= More human remains discovered in Lake Mead's receding waters |url= https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/07/us/more-skeletal-remains-at-lake-mead/index.html |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=CNN |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.greenmatters.com/news/dead-bodies-lake-mead | title=Authorities Have Now Found Five Dead Bodies in Lake Mead, Amid Ongoing Drought (Updates) | date=July 26, 2022 }}</ref>
== Recreation and marinas == Lake Mead provides many types of recreation to locals and visitors, including boating, fishing, swimming, sunbathing, and water skiing. Four marinas are located on Lake Mead: Las Vegas Boat Harbor and Lake Mead Marina (in Hemenway Harbor, NV) operated by the Gripentogs, and Callville Bay (in Callville Bay, NV) and Temple Bar (in Arizona). The area has many coves with rocky cliffs and sandy beaches.<ref name="nps.gov">{{cite web | url=https://www.nps.gov/para/planyourvisit/grand-wash-cliffs-wilderness-area.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412081404/https://www.nps.gov/para/planyourvisit/grand-wash-cliffs-wilderness-area.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=April 12, 2017 | title=Grand Wash Cliffs Wilderness Area - Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) }}</ref>
Between 2007-2015, Lake Mead had the most fatalities of any national park with 317 deaths among 120 million recreational visits - the vast majority being drownings.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Legal |date=2024-06-01 |title=Most Dangerous National Parks in the U.S. {{!}} 2007-2024 Data Analysis |url=https://www.panish.law/nevada/deaths-in-us-national-parks/ |access-date=2025-10-07 |website=Panish {{!}} Shea {{!}} Ravipudi LLP - Nevada |language=en-US}}</ref>
Several small to medium-sized islands occur in the lake area depending on the water level, the largest of which is Oberlink Island. The Alan Bible Visitor Center hosts the Alan Bible Botanical Garden, a small garden of cactus and other plants native to the Mojave Desert. The Grand Wash is a recreational area located in the north side of the lake.<ref name="nps.gov"/>
On October 28, 1971, Lake Mead hosted the 1st ever B.A.S.S Bassmaster Classic. This fishing site was a "mystery lake" and the 24 anglers were not told of the location of the tournament until their plane was in the air. The "winner take all" payout of $10,000 was won by Bobby Murray of Arkansas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1971 Bassmaster Classic Archives |url=https://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/1971-bassmaster-classic/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |publisher=Bassmaster}}</ref>
The ''Desert Princess'', operated by Lake Mead Cruises, is a three-level paddle wheeler certified by the U.S. Coast Guard to carry 275 passengers. It cruises to the Hoover Dam five days a week.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hoover Dam Sightseeing Cruise |url=https://www.lakemeadcruises.com/cruises/hoover-dam-sightseeing-cruise/ |publisher=Lake Mead Cruises Aramark |access-date=2021-12-20}}</ref>
==B-29 crash== {{Main|1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash}}
At the bottom of the lake is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress that crashed in 1948 while testing a prototype missile guidance system known as "suntracker".<ref name="b29">{{Cite web|url=http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/b29.html|title=Lake Mead: Exploring the B-29|access-date=December 1, 2007|website=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|year=2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215125314/http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/maritime/expeditions/b29.html|archive-date=December 15, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
The wreckages of at least two smaller airplanes are submerged in Lake Mead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/the-mystery-of-lake-mead|title=The Mystery of Lake Mead|website=lasvegasnow.com|access-date=September 17, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008005518/http://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/the-mystery-of-lake-mead|archive-date=October 8, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
== Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam in popular culture == The 2018 novel ''Lords of St. Thomas'', by Jackson Ellis, tells the story of the last family to vacate the flooded town of St. Thomas in 1938, following construction of the Hoover Dam and creation of Lake Mead.<ref>Robison, Vernon ''[http://mvprogress.com/2018/05/16/new-historical-novel-tells-story-of-evacuation-of-st-thomas/ New Historical Novel Tells Story Of Evacuation Of St. Thomas]''</ref>
Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, and the wrecked B-29 play a large role in the setting of the video game ''Fallout: New Vegas''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GameSpy: PC Gamer, Developers Talk Fallout: New Vegas - Page 1 |url=http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/fallout-new-vegas/1067697p1.html |access-date=2022-05-10 |publisher=xbox360.gamespy.com}}</ref>
Lake Mead appeared in an episode of BuzzFeed Unsolved Desert Lore in 2025.
==See also== {{Stack|{{Portal|Nevada|Arizona|Water}}}} *List of drying lakes *List of reservoirs and dams in the United States
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category multi|Lake Mead|Lake Mead National Recreation Area}} * {{Cite web|website=azgfd.gov|url=http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/edits/lake_levels.shtml|title=Arizona lakes water level report|access-date=November 16, 2006|archive-date=July 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716011638/http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/edits/lake_levels.shtml|url-status=dead}} * {{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/lake/index.htm|website=NPS.gov|author=National Park Service|title=Lake Mead National Recreation Area}} * {{Cite web|url=http://www.arachnoid.com/NaturalResources/index.html |website=Arachnoid.com|title=Natural Resources: "Historical and current water levels in Lake Mead}} * {{Cite web|website=usbr.gov|author=US Department of the Interior|url=http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|title=Lake Mead elevation at Hoover Dam: monthly from Feb. 1935 to present|access-date=June 26, 2010|archive-date=March 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328182646/https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/mead-elv.html|url-status=dead}} * {{Cite web|website=usbr.gov|url=http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/levels.html|title=Lower Colorado Region: Daily data of level and flow|author=US Department of the Interior|access-date=September 14, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926150547/http://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/g4000/hourly/levels.html|archive-date=September 26, 2016|url-status=dead}} * {{Cite web|website=water-data.info|url=https://lakemead.water-data.com/|title=Lake Mead Water Database}} * [https://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts.com/i-boating-fishing-web-app/fishing-marine-charts-navigation.html?title=Lake+Mead+ENC#10.62/36.1435/-114.3842 Lake Mead ENC Chart]
{{Colorado River system}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Lake Mead Category:1935 establishments in Arizona Category:1935 establishments in Nevada Category:Colorado River Category:Lake Mead National Recreation Area Mead Mead Category:Landmarks in Arizona Category:Landmarks in Nevada Mead Mead Category:Tourist attractions in Clark County, Nevada Category:Reservoirs in Nevada