b'H20H NO!Its been a rough few yearsSide Effect of Criticallyfor Lake Mead Low Water LevelsLake Meads rapid water decrease is not the only issue the Southern Nevada receives 90% of its water supply fromLake faces. As it dries, Lake Meads secret history has been the Colorado River. The reservoir, formed by Hoover Damthrust into the spotlight as numerous bodies have been on the Colorado River, sank to record-low elevation levelsdiscovered. Even before the water levels dropped, Lake during the summer of 2022. In 2021, the U.S. Bureau ofMead was considered one of Americas deadliest national Reclamation officially declared a water shortage for theparks. Since the Lake was created in the 1930s, around State of Nevada for the first time.300 people have drowned in the reservoir. This figure is on top of those who died from other means that may be The Bureau has been warning us for years: The region hasin the Lake.been under a sustained drought for more than 20 years,In2022,theremainsofatleastfourbodieswere and the persistently dry conditions gradually brought Lakerecovered from the Lake. While at least one body looks Mead to historic lows. In January 2022, the Lake stood atto have perished because of 1,067 feet. By the summer, levels dropped to 1,041 feet anddrowning, the other remains continued to steadily decrease the remainder of the year. foundincludeabodyin The water shortage declaration means states which useacorrodingbarrelwitha Lake Mead as their water source need to reduce annualgunshotwound.Theresno usage by 7%, or 21,000 acre-feet, which roughly equals 6.8telling what lies at the bottom billion gallons. of Lake Mead, but with the rate at which the water level Without drastic changes in behavior or weather, the Lakeshasbeendropping,wecan levelswillcontinuetodrop,whichwillaffectroughlyassumemoreoftheLakes 40millionpeopleintheU.S.andMexico.Thewatersecrets will be exposed. supply supports dozens of indigenous tribes, 11 national parks, and irrigates 5.5 million acres of farmland. As theThe Bad NewsSouthwest faces its most severe drought in hundreds ofThe current drought is not expected to end soon, and any years, the Lake will likely reach dead pool (when water inrains coming this year and next may be too little too late. a reservoir drops so low it cant flow downstream from theAnother hot spring and summer in 2023 could rapidly dam) within two years. deplete snowpack, streams, and reservoirs, and dry out the soil prolonging the drought.30'