The water level in Lake Mead has reached its lowest level since 1971, exposing one of the original inlet valves that had been hidden since it was first installed, reports show.
The reservoir, the largest in the US, is formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, located in both Nevada and Arizona, about 24 miles from Las Vegas.
As a result of the ongoing mega drought in the US Southwest and the increasing demand for water, levels have fallen in recent years.
An inlet valve that has been in service since 1971 but is no longer able to draw water has been unveiled for the first time since its installation, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is responsible for Las Vegas’s water supply.
The water main in the reservoir, which provides drinking water to 40 million people, is now at 1,055 feet above sea level, well below the maximum capacity of 1,229 feet and worryingly close to the 1,050 foot limit for pumping water to customers.
Low pumping stations had to be turned on earlier this week to allow Southern Nevada Water to continue drawing water and avoid this scenario.
Water levels in Lake Mead have reportedly reached an all-time low, revealing the original water intake valve for the first time since 1971, as seen in this photo from late April
Lake Meade was 1,225 feet above sea level in 1983 (left) and 1,060 feet in January 2022 (right)
As a result of the ongoing mega drought in the US Southwest and the increasing demand for water, levels have fallen in recent years
Many of the problems Lake Mead faces stem from the region’s ongoing drought, which has caused the Colorado River drainage basin to become extremely low.
Known as an extreme and extraordinary drought, it has spread across New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, all states that are part of the Colorado River basin.
“When the lake reached 1060[feet above sea level]you could start to see the top of inlet number one,” Bronson Mack of the Southern Nevada Water Authority told CNN, and that’s what he reached on 4 has since submerged.
It is currently at 1,055 feet above sea level, or about 30 percent capacity, and research suggests it could fall by as much as 30 feet over the next decade.
This image, taken in March 2022, shows the reservoir, the largest in the US, at a very low level — at just 30 percent capacity
This was recorded in 2021 when the lake was 35%, today it is at 30%. An inlet valve that has been in service since 1971 but is no longer able to draw water has been unveiled for the first time since its installation, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is responsible for Las Vegas’s water supply
The Southern Nevada Water Authority commissioned its new low-lake pumping station for the first time this week. Completed in 2020, it draws water up from lower layers of the lake to counteract the ever-lowering water levels.
It was built to protect the region’s water resources from the worsening drought, according to the agency, which began construction in 2015.
“There was no impact on the facility’s ability to deliver water,” Mack told CNN, speaking of the lower pumping station. He added that “customers didn’t notice anything. It was a seamless transition.”
The third pumping station, with a 1,050-foot shut-off, is likely to be unusable for years to come, and the second, at 1,000 feet, could also risk water levels falling further at their current rate, the agency said.
Lake Mead is fed by the Hoover Dam and sits on the Colorado River, this satellite image from August 2021 showed it when it was 1,067 feet above sea level
Many of the problems Lake Mead faces stem from the region’s ongoing drought, which has caused the Colorado River drainage basin to become extremely low
The new station is a “low lake level pumping station” designed to allow Las Vegas officials to draw water from very deep down in the reservoir — about 875 feet above sea level.
The agency’s Doa Ross said the station will serve as the main pump for Las Vega. Adding, “While we are in a situation where our first recording is now exposed to the water, this community had the foresight to plan for this, knowing the drought was not going away.”
Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both fed by the Colorado River system, are important reservoirs that provide drinking water, electricity, and even irrigation to farms.
In September 2021, the reservoir was 1,060 feet above sea level, or about 35% capacity – today it has dropped to 1,050 feet and only 30%
This 1950 image shows a complete Lake Mead. It has fluctuated in recent decades but has steadily declined since 1999 due to a mega drought in the western states
The entire river system serves about 40 million people, from cities like Las Vegas to rural farms, ranches, and even Native communities.
The record-low water levels are the result of the worst drought in centuries, with human-caused climate change making the situation 72 percent worse, studies have shown.
“We’re in a moment where we’re anticipating how we can continue to thrive with less water, and it’s very painful,” said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University.
“When the lake reached 1060[feet above sea level]you could start to see the top of inlet number one,” Bronson Mack of the Southern Nevada Water Authority told CNN, and that’s what he reached on 4 has since submerged. At this time the lake was at 35% in September 2021
It is currently at 1,055 feet above sea level, or about 30 percent capacity, and research suggests it could fall by as much as 30 feet over the next decade. The photo is from 2021, when the lake was at 35 percent capacity
The water level at the reservoir has been falling since 1999 due to drought in the west and increased water demand due to population growth.
As weather patterns are expected to worsen, experts say the reservoir may never fill up again.
Although Lake Mead and Lake Powell could theoretically be refilled, it would be wiser to plan for a hotter, drier future with less river water, Porter said.
Scientists have long warned that the weather will get wilder as the world warms, and climate change has made the West much warmer and drier over the past 30 years.
In addition to water supplies, the drop in water levels is affecting the dam’s electrical output, meaning millions could be left without power.
The dam generates electricity for portions of Arizona, California and Nevada and produces an average of about 2,074 megawatts, which the Western Area Power Administration says is enough power for about 8 million people.