"I work with processing tomato growers a lot, and I know that there are just less processing tomatoes being grown in California because of the drought this year," Nocco said. Lake Mead falls within an area of exceptional drought, the highest tier. LAS VEGAS (AP) A massive drought-starved reservoir on the Colorado River has become so depleted that Las Vegas now is pumping water from deeper within Lake Mead where other states downstream don't have access. Fast-forward nearly four decades, Lake Mead is now 178 feet lower and continuing to shrink. See How Far Water Levels in Lake Mead Have Fallen (Benedeck/Getty Images), In an aerial view, houseboats sit anchored at the Bidwell Canyon Marina on Lake Oroville on June 1, 2021, in Oroville, Calif. As water levels continue to fall at Lake Oroville, officials are flagging houseboats that are anchored on the lake for removal to avoid being stuck or damaged. Colorado River Drought Contingency Planning. The Colorado River system overall is now at half its capacity, according to the US interior department. Tech & Science Has Rain Helped Lake Mead Water Levels? In the Southwest deserts, historic temperature readings and data, such as stream flows, help determine how the climate has changed. The winter runoff and conserved water will be a drop in the bucket for Lake Mead. The US Bureau of Reclamations first-ever declaration of a tier 1 shortage represents an acknowledgment that after a 20-year drought, the reservoir that impounds the Colorado River at the Hoover Dam has receded to its lowest levels since it was created in the 1930s. Prolonged periods of lower precipitation mean there is less water collecting in Lakes Mead and Powell, and less snowpack in the Rocky Mountains to melt during warmer months and push the river downstream. Azcentral.com reported that the reservoir's water level has dropped about 140 feet since 2000. First-ever water shortage declared for Lake Mead, the - ABC News CNN Another set of human remains was found at Lake Mead Monday as the reservoir's water levels continue to recede, according to a news release from the National Park Service. Photos show Lake Mead's water levels as senator issues dire warning 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. Most of the boat ramps have been gated and marina docks moved into deeper waters. Reclamation announces 2022 operating conditions for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. More restrictions have been proposed for the future. Officials issue first-ever declaration of tier 1 shortage at Lake Mead as it falls to lowest level since its creation. The reservoir, the country's largest by volume, sank torecord-low elevation levels this summer. Farmers, who have already had to make some land fallow, will probably have to continue to do so in the coming years and rely increasingly on groundwater. Officials have declared a dire water shortage at Lake Mead, the USs largest reservoir, triggering major water cuts in Arizona and other western states. The river water is allotted to states (including tribal lands) and Mexico through laws like the 1922 Colorado River Compact. (AP Photo/John Locher), Craig Miller hauls a hose while trying to free his stranded houseboat at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Thursday, June 23, 2022, near Boulder City, Nev. Miller had been living on the stranded boat for over two weeks after engine trouble and falling lake levels left the boat above the water level. Buoys that read 'No Boats' lay on cracked dry earth where water once was at Lake Mead, Nevada, on July 23, 2022. Plus, because too much water was allocated when the Colorado River Compact determined state's distributions a century ago, there has historically been less of it moving freely through the system than the agreement originally suggested. Lake Mead is fed by the Colorado River, which has declined to half its capacity since 2000, according to the US Department of Interior. New study shows robust increases in atmospheric thirst across much of U.S. during past 40 years. I think in the next five years, what we need to do is have a reckoning over our water use, Porter said. (AP Photo/John Locher), Craig Miller looks as people help to free his stranded houseboat at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Thursday, June 23, 2022, near Boulder City, Nev. (AP Photo/John Locher), Craig Miller sits in his stranded houseboat at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Thursday, June 23, 2022, near Boulder City, Nev. Miller had been living on the stranded boat for over two weeks after engine trouble and falling lake levels left the boat above the water level. Drought More than half the worlds population sees AP journalism every day. First published on August 30, 2022 / 8:23 AM. The former and current president both shared Independence Day messages on social media on Tuesday. NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and lake elevation data from the Bureau of Reclamation. Building upon the Basin Study, scientists, analysts, managers, historians, engineers, and the public have explored ways that, if combined, could yield over 4,000,000 acre-feet of water by 2035 (that is more than a trillion gallons). Lake Mead is expected to continue rising through the end of September but will only rise to 26% of capacity. Lake Mead forecast: Southwest should brace for more water cuts from Colorado River. How Lake Mead Water Levels Look After Weeks of Heavy Rainfall - Newsweek But climate change worsens conditions, and scientists believe that more is needed than just relying on unpredictable weather patterns. Carbon capture technology: Costly distraction or clean energy's future? Cutbacks and conservation efforts though crucial are unlikely to reverse the reservoirs decline in the near future. "It could drop even lower - Reclamation may need to keep more water upriver in Lake Powell because the Glen Canyon Dam could be damaged if the water level there gets too low.". The persistent drought plaguing the Southwest shows no signs of slowing. What is dead pool? But by next year, the lakes level is expected to drop to 1,065ft, below the 1,075ft cutoff that triggers first-tier water reductions. El Salvadoran ex-President Mauricio Funes sentenced to 6 years for tax evasion, In Trump case, Justice Dept. A sign warns visitors of the drought's effect at Hemenway Harbor on Lake Mead. When the lake is full it covers 248 square miles. Published 12:58 PM PDT, April 30, 2022. Lake Mead isn't the only river experiencing the severe effects of drought. Houseboats, sailboats and motorboats have been beached, creating a surreal scene in an otherwise rugged desert landscape. "Perhaps the consumers going to the market may not feel that much of the burden," said Nocco. Lake Mead supplies nearly 25 million people with water. Compared with photos of the lake at higher levels, it's clear how serious the drought in the west has become. Meta unveiled an app to rival Twitter on Thursday. Finally a Judge Stands Up to Biden's Abuse of Power & Suppression of Speech, Trump Judge's Social Media Ruling Is Bonkers, Donald Trump's 4th of July Message Was Very Different From Joe Biden's, Capitol Rioter Has Ominous Warning for Kevin McCarthy, Cocaine at White House Raises Questions About Secret Service, Delaware Giving Companies Right To Vote Raises Legal Questions, Oath Keepers Leader Warns Trump About Trial. A small school of dead fish have been propped on their tails and arranged in a circle. Craig Miller was motoring around on his houseboat last month when the engine died and he floated to shore. (AP Photo/John Locher) Read More 5 of 15 | It currently appears to be hurtling towards deadpool level, which is at about 895 feet. Lake Orumiyeh is one of the worlds great salt lakes, but it is shrinking. Lake Mead's water level has never been lower. Here's what that means. Water The images, which cover the years 2000, 2021 and 2022, show . The natural-color images above were acquired on July 6, 2000, and July 3, 2022, by Landsat 7 and Landsat 8. Lake Mead Keeps Dropping - NASA Earth Observatory Arizona will be hardest hit, losing nearly a fifth of the water it receives from the Colorado River. We're definitely hoping for a run of good years, but the long-term outlook is not good. And the effects are apparent as boaters are unable to put their vessels into the lake and the so-called "bathtub ring" of pale minerals grows along the lake's coast. An abandoned old power boat juts upright from the cracked mud like a giant tombstone. Most of the boat ramps have been gated and marina docks moved into deeper waters. That might be of no surprise to lake visitors, who have probably seen the white ring that traces its rock-walled shoreline. Even a sunken World War II-era craft that once surveyed the lake has emerged from the ebbing waters. 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. A wet winter is now prompting federal officials to release more water downstream into the reservoir.. Lake Mead, once the largest water reservoir in the US, now little more than a graveyard. According to the National Park Service, five of six boating ramps/launches are now closed. The reservoir is now below 30 percent of capacity, Its level has dropped 170 feet (52 meters) since reaching a high-water mark in 1983. Lake Mead: shrinking waters uncover buried secrets and grisly finds Park rangers. The Washington Post reported that in the future, the Hoover Dam may no longer be able to generate electricity at certain times of the year as water levels drop. Craig Miller hauls a hose while trying to free his stranded houseboat at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Thursday, June 23, 2022, near Boulder City, Nev. Miller had been living on the stranded boat for over two weeks after engine trouble and falling lake levels left the boat above the water level. Image of the Day Severe drought threatens Hoover dam reservoir - and water for US west In May 2016, the reservoir behind Hoover Dam reached its lowest level since the 1930s. Less water is flowing through the Colorado River system because of a persistent upper weather pattern that hangs over the West, Greg Postel, a meteorologist at The Weather Channel, told CBS News. Its mouth is open as if it is trying to breathe. Federal agency the Bureau of Reclamation predicts that Lake Mead could reach 1,013 feet by 2024. 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. 2022 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. For example, lots of heavy rainfall has been sweeping across Nevada and California in recent days. This table represents some of those findings. He was never the same again, While Putin was mired in personal drama, Ukraine was quietly carrying out its counteroffensive, These advocates are voting differently on the Voice they want you to know why. But mounting concerns about the mega-drought seemed to reach a peak in recent months, when its repercussions became startlingly clear at Lake Mead. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images), Monday was Earth's hottest day on record, initial measurements show. Reinsurance companies which cover policies for insurers have hiked their rates as much as 50% this year, report says. Its level has dropped 52 metressince reaching a high-water mark in 1983. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment. Declining water levels due to climate change and 20 years of ongoing drought have reshaped the parks shorelines, the Park Service said on its website. This is a very big deal, because theres never been a shortage like this over the almost 100-year history, said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University. And now, the lake that provides 90% of Las Vegas' drinking water and generates electricity for areas in Arizona, California and Nevada, is currently only 37% full. Its mouth is open as if it is trying to breathe. filled some California reservoirs to the point of overflow, Finally a Judge Stands Up to Biden's Abuse of Power & Suppression of Speech, Trump Judge's Social Media Ruling Is Bonkers, Donald Trump's 4th of July Message Was Very Different From Joe Biden's, Capitol Rioter Has Ominous Warning for Kevin McCarthy, Cocaine at White House Raises Questions About Secret Service, Delaware Giving Companies Right To Vote Raises Legal Questions, Oath Keepers Leader Warns Trump About Trial. But what has this meant for Colorado River reservoir Lake Mead? Tech & Science Lake Mead Nevada Arizona Drought Lake Mead's rapidly declining water levels can be seen over time in photographs. The water levels have risen slightly over the wet season but this is not massively above the lowest point it has ever reached.