Lake Mead’s water levels have risen slightly after a heavy amount of rainfall, but an expert has warned that there is little chance it will refill.
The Colorado River reservoir, which lies between Nevada and Arizona, has seen a slight rise in water levels over the last week. This came following some heavy rains in the Western U.S.
At the beginning of January, Lake Mead’s water levels stood at 1,068 feet. Since then, it has steadily increased, and now, after the wet weather, stands at 1,072 feet as of Friday, January 26.
But, Jennifer Pitt, National Audubon Society’s Colorado River program director, told Newsweek that while every tiny bit of rainfall helps, the reservoir is still in trouble.
What’s Causing Lake Mead’s Low Water Levels
“For more than 20 years, the amount of water stored in Lake Mead has declined as Colorado River water uses have exceeded supplies, and climate change is making this worse,” Pitt said.
“Today Lake Mead is 36 percent full—or 64 percent empty—with little chance it will refill absent changes in river management.
“Daily, or even monthly fluctuations in Lake Mead are due to variations in the rate of water flowing in and water flowing out.
“Local rainstorms can result in water flowing in but Mead is in the desert. Even significant local storms don’t compare to the large volumes of water that flow in from the Colorado River.”
Despite the western U.S. having some heavy rainfall throughout 2023 and early this year, the lake’s water levels are certainly not what they used to be. Officials fear that Lake Mead could drop to extremely low levels again in the coming year.
In 2022, levels plummeted to around 1,040 feet. This was the lowest the lake has been since it was first constructed in the 1930s.
The southwestern U.S. faces a water crisis largely due to it being plagued with drought for many years. The Colorado River’s water levels are the lowest they have been in a century.
This is largely due to climate change making seasonal weather patterns unpredictable. For example, a lack of precipitation means less snowpack running down the mountains and into the river.
Other Reservoirs Affected By Drought
Lake Mead is not the only reservoir affected by these low water levels. Lake Powell, which borders Arizona and Utah, also relies on the same flows from the Colorado River, and has seen incredibly low water levels in recent years.
“Water flowing into Mead is almost all from the Colorado River via the reservoir upstream—Lake Powell—which gets its almost all its water from snow in mountains in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico,” Pitt said.
“Lake Powell releases water to Lake Mead based on how much of that melted snow has flowed into the Colorado River and into Powell, but also based on requirements, including interstate water agreements, hydropower generation, and laws that protects natural and cultural resources in the Grand Canyon, which sits in between Powell and Mead.
“Water flowing out of Mead, which also affects its elevation, is based on delivery to water users downstream.”
What Can Be Done About Lake Mead’s Water Levels
Around 25 million people rely on Lake Mead’s water, meaning it is going to take a lot more than some rainfall to get it back to healthy levels. Pitt and other experts believe that the only way to solve the problem is serious water conservation.
“Every drop helps, including a local rainstorm, but to stem decline of Lake Mead and stabilize water supplies for tens of millions of people in the long term, we need to figure out how to use less water across the region,” Pitt said.
“We need investments in watershed health and water conservation and efficiency that allow urban and rural communities that depend on Colorado River water to thrive even as climate change impacts shrink the river.”
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Lake Mead? Let us know via [email protected].
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The post Lake Mead Water Levels Update—’Little Chance’ It Will Refill appeared first on Newsweek.
