by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Lake Mead has fallen to its lowest level since the massive reservoir was filled nearly 90 years ago, underscoring the growing strain on the Colorado River system that supplies water and electricity across much of the American West.
The reservoir, which sits along the Arizona-Nevada border behind Hoover Dam, dropped to 1,040.4 feet above sea level Friday, slipping just below the previous record set in July 2022, according to federal data.
The decline follows an exceptionally poor winter snowpack in the Rocky Mountains, where runoff feeds the Colorado River. Roughly 40 million people across seven Western states, tribal nations, and Mexico depend on the river for water, while farms, industries, wildlife and hydropower systems also rely heavily upon it.
Federal officials are already taking emergency steps to stabilize the system. The Bureau of Reclamation plans to reduce releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead while moving additional water into Powell from upstream reservoirs — actions officials acknowledge could accelerate Lake Mead’s decline and further reduce Hoover Dam’s hydropower output.
The crisis comes as the seven Colorado River Basin states remain divided over a long-term agreement governing how shrinking water supplies should be shared after existing operating rules expire at the end of 2026.
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