Newsweek
Jan. 16, 2023
What will happen to Las Vegas if Lake Mead water level gets too low?
Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in the U.S., is rapidly approaching dead pool due to severe drought conditions gripping the region. The lake's water levels currently stand at 1,045.54 feet as of Jan. 15. But experts predict that in a few years, they could could reach as low as 895 feet – too low to flow past the dam. That would have dire consequences for cities such as Las Vegas. "Lake Mead and Hoover Dam are about 100 to 150 feet from 'dead pool' conditions, at which point neither water nor electricity will flow from the dam," said University of Arizona Distinguished Professor of Geosciences Joellen Russell. "At its peak, Hoover Dam generated a significant part of the electricity for almost 30 million people, and production has already dropped by a third. Dead pool conditions would mean the end of all electric production, as well as water, from the Colorado River."