Lake Mead is at its lowest level since the 1930's

The mid-west and western drought is causing once in a lifetime low levels in water supplies. Lake Mead’s water supply to dip to historically low levels this week, Lake Mead’s water levels are poised to sink to below 1,080 feet above sea level — their lowest levels since the Dam was constructed in the 1930s.

Lake Mead’s Water Supply Has Dropped to the Lowest Level Since the Hoover Dam Was Built (msn.com)

 

I'm kind of surprised even with this past winter's snowfall totals that it's still remarkably low. Must be an accumulative effect, too dry for too long. I'll bet with the low water levels all sorts of things will be exposed. Sunken boats, stolen items dumped in the lake, etc.

 

It's down to 1080, highest level 1225 in 1983. I didn't download data and calculate average or mean. But it seems to be closer to 1080 than 1225. I have not yet found historical data on flow into lake, but I'm guessing upstream water use is part of the problem.
Water rights in that neck o' the woods is HUGE!

 

Who dat? Jimmy Hoffa?

 

Found flow data on CO river since 85.
highly variable year to year
low 1000 cfs. high 50,000 cfs
the graph would not load
looks to be under 10,000 cfs average over 35 years
it's still flowing a similar amount of water it flowed 35 years ago

 

Shhhh. Not political. I misspelled the name. I meant Tweety Bird, not the exalted cyclops.

 

Thanks for doing the legwork on this one. It helps to have all the information available before reading an article then making a rather large assumption. Obviously there are other factors at play here.

 

Was in Vegas 2009 and did the bus tour to Grand Canyon with a stop at the dam.
Not a clue of the level? but it looked very low then.

 

I hear the concrete is still curing deep down inside the dam... maybe it's soaking up the lake water? (Kidding!) For how large that lake is, when you see a drop like that you know it's an astronomical amount of water that's simply not there. It's unfortunate our data only goes back so far concerning rain/snow patterns in that area, and all of the tributaries that feed the lake. I'd be interested to know if the kind of drought they're seeing is a once a century, once a millennium, or never happened before kind of thing.

 

I don't know, but i hope they don't run out of water! Cause they'll be moving out here to the mountains looking for more...like rattlesnakes...

 

It's been happening for a 1000 years, maybe more.
Climate change and drought in the American Southwest – Climate Institute

 

??

 

So it appears over the last century the amount of water varies between 15 and 20 MAF and the use has continued to increase from 5 to 15 MAF. Looks like Mother Nature is doing what it always does. We can adapt.

 

With the introduction of foreign and invasive species, some artifacts are disappearing.

1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash - Wikipedia

 

My wife and I have been to Vegas a number of times and took a tour of the Hoover Dam years ago. I can't remember the exact year, but the new bridge was still under construction and traffic was driving over the actual dam. We were able to walk across it. Amazing engineering. And to think they designed it way before computers. And built it without the safety measures we have today.

I remember the water being low; you could see that white ring on the rocks. And we stopped at a lookout on the way back. You could see the docks for a marina that were now on dry land. I had thought somewhat recently the water level was back up to almost normal? I guess that changed unfortunately.

 

Same here...we were there summer 2011 IIRC
We were actually on our way out to the canyon and figured we'd stop for a little looky loo, but I was completely enthralled with the whole thing and ended up spending hours there...were late getting to our original destination

 

The scale is amazing. And inside, you can hear/feel the rumble of the water going through the turbines.

Hope it all works out with the water. I know a lot of people depend on the dam for not only power, but irrigation.

 

Too many people living in a dry climate