Lake Mead's Water Projected to Hit Lowest Point on Record
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Lake Mead's water levels are projected to be the lowest in recorded history by 2027, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The lake, which was first filled in 1930, is already only 31 percent full after dropping to a low of 1,041.71 feet of water above sea level in July 2022. Its levels have risen since that low in 2022, but are expected to fall again to 1,041.06 feet as of May 2027.
Why It Matters
Lake Mead is the nation's largest reservoir and is part of the Colorado River Basin network which supplies water to seven U.S. states, 30 tribal nations, and also parts of Mexico.
Approximately 25 million people, including residents of the major cities of Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, rely on water from Lake Mead. Millions also rely on the lake's ability to create electricity across Arizona, Colorado, and Nevada.
What To Know
Lake Mead's water levels are determined by a number of factors including natural conditions and demand.
A major reason is climate change, as unpredictable weather patterns, hotter summers which not only dry out the lake but also increase demand for water, and more arid winters are leaving the basin empty. Now, despite a snowy past winter in Colorado, the basin is still struggling.
Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, told 8NewsNow that the levels represent "the uncertainty we face year after year."
A boat that was once submerged sits on cracked earth hundreds of feet from the shoreline of Lake Mead on May 10, 2022, near Boulder City, Nevada.
A boat that was once submerged sits on cracked earth hundreds of feet from the shoreline of Lake Mead on May 10, 2022, near Boulder City, Nevada.
John Locher, File/AP Photo
Further Water Restrictions?
The lessening levels mean that people in the states reliant on Lake Mead, predominantly, California, Nevada, and Arizona, may be put under water restrictions.
These states are already under Tier 1 water restrictions, meaning people cannot use free-flowing hoses, must reduce hours for landscaping, and must have conservation plans in place. If the water levels continue to drop, they will be placed under Tier 2 restrictions, which could see the water allocations for each state being limited.
Millions of people rely on this basin for water and electricity as President Donald Trump's administration has withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement again and has opened up the country for more fossil fuel drilling.
Trump has signed several executive orders to revive fossil fuel production by declaring an "energy emergency," and the Environmental Protection Agency led by Lee Zeldin has worked to remove clean air standards.
The Department of Government Efficiency also laid off several Lake Mead workers during its mass-firing drive. However, many of these employees have now been reinstated.
Jennifer Shoulders, center, protesting the layoffs of National Park Service employees, at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visitor Center on March 1, 2025, near Boulder City, Nevada.
Jennifer Shoulders, center, protesting the layoffs of National Park Service employees, at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area Visitor Center on March 1, 2025, near Boulder City, Nevada.
Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP
What People Are Saying
Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, told media: "This report underscores the arid shifts we are seeing across the West and the uncertainty we face year after year. Much of the Upper Colorado River region had normal to above-average snowpacks this winter. But that is not translating to water for Lake Mead. Even in good years, we are seeing bad results."
What Happens Next
Lake workers are working to expand surrounding recreation areas, as lowering water levels has resulted in a change in where people can enjoy time at the lake.
As temperatures rise in the region and little evident action to combat climate change, residents who rely on water from Lake Mead can expect to endure more restrictions on their water access.
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