Are Lake Mead's Water Levels Rising?

Lake Mead's water levels have risen slightly with an influx of heavy rainfall, but will that be enough to save the rapidly drying up reservoir?

The lake, a reservoir of the Colorado River, formed by the Hoover Dam, provides water to 25 million people in California, Nevada and Arizona, but it has been facing the effects of an ongoing megadrought.

Its water levels are rapidly declining, edging closer and closer to deadpool level. If it reaches this point, the lake, which provides electricity to thousands of people, will reach a dire point.

In July 2022, Lake Mead dropped to the lowest point it has ever been and was only 27 percent of its usual capacity.

The reservoir relies on rainfall and winter snowpack to replenish its water levels. With the ongoing drought, these weather patterns are becoming more unpredictable and the lake isn't filling up as much as it once did.

But the Lake's water levels have risen slightly recently, from 1,044 feet at the end of 2022, to 1,045 feet at the beginning of 2023.

This could be down to some incredibly heavy rainfall sweeping the region, which may help offset the effects of the drought.

Where Is Lake Mead?

Lake Mead is on the border of Nevada and Arizona. It is formed by the Hoover Dam, which was first constructed between 1931 and 1936.

The sudden rainfall which has swept the region has even changed Nevada's drought status, which usually remains pretty static.

The U.S. Drought Monitor has changed Nevada's status 0 percent in an exceptional drought, due to the rainfall. Last year, Nevada had a status of being 8 percent in an exceptional drought.

However the state is still 24 percent in an extreme drought and 78 percent in a severe drought.

Although Lake Mead's water levels reached an all time low in 2022, it was also the year that saw the water levels rise slightly for the first time in three years.

The state saw a particularly wet monsoon season at the end of July and into August, meaning the river filled slightly. During this time, areas saw more than a half inch of rain in just 10 minutes, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported at the time.

The recent rainfall is unlikely to be a long-term solution for the lake. The region continues to grapple with mostly dry conditions, and the water levels are still incredibly low compared to the same point last year. At the beginning of 2022, the lake's water levels were at 1,066 feet.

The ongoing drought in the western United States has been one of the driest stretches seen in the U.S. in the past 1,200 years. Scientists are putting it mainly down to human-driven climate change.