Lake Mead Level 1 Water Shortage Declared

Above, the beginning of Lake Mead at the Hoover Dam in November 2018. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The current monsoon season in the Southwest doesn't seem to be helping much with the water situation at Lake Mead.

The lake is down from it's high-mark of 500 to about a few hundred feet.

According to RVTravel:

If you were planning on parking your RV along the shores of Lake Mead anytime soon, you’d better prepare for a hike to the water, too.

On Monday, August 16th, the Bureau of Reclamation declared a Level 1 Water Shortage Condition for Lake Mead. That’s the first time the lake has ever seen a Level 1 declaration. It will lead to a series of water use cuts that take effect as early as 2022.

Access to the lake is becoming difficult, with marinas servicing the Lake Mead National Recreation Area forced to move farther into the lake in order to launch watercraft. 

The lake, which is about 500 feet deep when it’s full, still has a few hundred feet of water. But hills and mountains that were long submerged are beginning to near the surface, causing boating hazards.

To read more, go here.