Deliveries to be cut as Lake Powell approaches crisis level

Lake Mead’s “bathtub ring” is set to become even more pronounced this year. The lingering drought is the overriding reason that the lake’s water level will fall again in 2022, but it’s also because less water will be released upstream on the Colorado River from Lake Powell. This month, the seven Colorado River Basin States — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — agreed with federal officials’ recommendations to institute a 480,000 acre-foot reduction from Glen Canyon Dam on Lake Powell to reduce the risk of the lake declining below 3,490 feet.

MYSTERYS on LAKE MEAD

A boat launching ramp at Lake Mead will be closing because of the historically low water levels. Echo Bay launch ramp will close on May 11 indefinitely.

The ramp, which has been extended in the past, was constructed to launch boats at a lake level of 1,060 feet but the lake is currently at 1,053 feet elevation and continuing to decline.

The drought conditions have also impacted other launches. Boats can no longer be launched from Callville Bay, Boulder Harbor, Temple Bar and South Cove due to low water levels.

Boaters will still be able to access Lake Mead from Hemenway Harbor as well as access points on Lake Mohave. Boaters should be prepared for a longer-than-average wait time, especially on weekends. You can check the launch ramp statuses at this link.

Las Vegas researchers find illicit drugs, medication, caffeine in Lake Mead

Levels of the items in the water supply are exceptionally small, meaning they’re not harmful to humans. But scientists worry they will create problems for the ecosystem.

Man found in barrel in Lake Mead was likely shot sometime in the 1980s, Vegas cops say

Boaters found the body of a man secreted in a barrel on the bottom of Lake Mead Sunday, and Las Vegas police officials say the dead man was likely shot sometime in the 1980s.

A severe drought has unearthed areas of the lake that were previously covered with water. Lake Mead, a reservoir of the Colorado River formed by the Hoover Dam, is the largest water reservoir in the U.S.