Photos Shows Lake Mead's Water Levels as Senator Issues Dire Warning

• Senator Mark Kelly recently compared photos of Lake Mead, highlighting the reservoir's extreme water loss.
• If the reservoir reaches dead pool levels, it will be unable to operate the Hoover Dam.
• To prevent the lake from reaching dead pool levels, water use in the basin must be reduced.
• Kelly has helped secure funds for drought relief in the Colorado River basin, such as paying farmers to hold off on deliveries and investing in drip irrigation systems.

Senator Mark Kelly recently shared two photos of Lake Mead, Arizona, and the stark contrast between the two fueled concerns about the reservoir's ability to recover from severe drought.

Torrential rain on the West Coast has filled some California reservoirs to the point of overflow, and nearby states such as Utah also saw their reservoirs benefit from the excess rain. However, Lake Mead water levels remain relatively unchanged and still at nearly their lowest in the reservoir's history.

On Wednesday morning, Kelly tweeted photos of Lake Mead in 2000 compared to Lake Mead in 2022. The reservoir was visibly lower in the more recent photo.

"Lake Mead supplies nearly 25 million people with water. It's one of the largest reservoirs in the U.S. and climate change and overuse have taken a toll on it. The photo on the left is from 2000. The photo on the right is from 2022. In two decades, we've lost *a lot* of water," Kelly tweeted.

Lake Mead levels are at 1,047 feet. A dead pool will be reached if the levels drop much further to 895 feet. At a dead pool, Lake Mead water levels wouldn't be high enough to operate the Hoover Dam, which provides electricity to 1.3 million people.

Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center Economist Lucas Bair told Newsweek that dead pool levels could occur as soon as this year if drought continues with no proper solutions. If a dead pool is reached, alternative albeit more expensive energy sources may be provided, but the sources could have a negative effect on the environment. Water use will be tougher to manage, and Bair said the only solution would be reducing use.

Recent storms have sated much of the region's drought, but more than weather will be needed to replenish Lake Mead levels, according to University of Southern California Davis professor Jay Lund. Lund previously told Newsweek that water use must be reduced for Lake Mead to recover properly.

"We might get lucky with the weather, but the idea of the system recovering is really hard unless you reduce water use in that basin," Lund told Newsweek.

Restrictions have already been imposed on several states in the lower Colorado River basin, with Arizona receiving the steepest of the federal cuts. Arizona was required to reduce its Colorado River allocation by more than 20 percent. More restrictions have been proposed for the future.

Other actions also are being taken, including $250 million from $4 billion that Kelly helped secure for drought relief as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. The $250 million would pay farmers in the lower Colorado River basin to hold off on deliveries for this year to prevent the reservoir from reaching dead pool levels. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation also plans to use other funds already approved by Congress for further drought relief measures, such as drip irrigation systems for farmers and canal liners, according to a report by the Arizona Republic.

"Lake Mead plays an important role in Arizona's economy and is critical for water security in the West. The funding I secured will help protect water levels at Lake Mead and strengthen the Colorado River system as states work together on a long-term agreement," Kelly told Newsweek in a statement.

Update 03/22/23 5:51 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Senator Mark Kelly.