Lake Mead Water Level Reaches All-Time Low

This 2008 photo of Lake Mead clearly shows the white “bathtub ring” around the lake. Water levels have dropped even further since then. | Courtesy of Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Lake Mead’s water level has dropped to an all-time low, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced last week, citing ongoing drought in the Southwest as the cause of the decline.

The lake, formed by Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border, is currently more than 200 feet below its “full” level of 1,296 feet above sea level. Lake Mead last reached that level in 1998, and the subsequent drought has left a large white “bathtub ring” around the water line.

If the water level drops much further, it could trigger a shortage declaration, which would mean less water would be delivered to the areas the lake serves, including Phoenix and Las Vegas. That isn’t expected to happen this year or in 2015, but the bureau said there’s a 50-50 chance of it happening in 2016.

Lake Mead is currently at 39 percent of its water capacity. Lake Powell, on the Arizona-Utah border, is at 52 percent capacity.

Despite the drought, we hope you’ll continue to enjoy Lake Mead National Recreation Area‘s boating, fishing and hiking opportunities. As we reported earlier this month, a portion of the Colorado River there recently became the first National Water Trail in the Southwest.

Arizona Canyon Becomes Southwest’s First National Water Trail

Willow Beach, Lake Mead | Courtesy of National Park Service

The Black Canyon Water Trail, a portion of the Colorado River that flows through Lake Mead National Recreation Area, has become the first federally designated National Water Trail in the Southwest.

The designation by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell also make the Black Canyon Water Trail the first such trail through a desert. Water trails are intended for use by people in small, non-motorized boats, such as canoes and kayaks.

The 30-mile trail can be accessed via a guided hike from the base of Hoover Dam; from Willow Beach, 14 miles south of the dam; or from Eldorado Canyon in Nevada.

Sandy beaches, colorful caves and desert bighorn sheep are among the things you might see along the route. For more information about the Black Canyon Water Trail, click here.