A congresswoman from Nevada has sounded the alarm about Lake Mead, which is nearing a critical point due to a severe drought that threatens to cause an unprecedented crisis for the state.
Lake Mead, fed by the famous Colorado River, provides drinking water to millions and is currently experiencing a Tier-1 shortage, having reached historically low levels in 2022.
Most recent projections see the lake reaching below those historic levels by the summer of 2027, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Democratic Representative Susie Lee has warned that time is slipping away to finalize a seven-state agreement as the existing regulations governing the river are set to expire next year.
State representatives have been thrashing out common ground which will directly affect water levels at both Mead and Lake Powell.
On Thursday at the Southern Nevada Water Summit, Lee: ‘It’s crunch time for the negotiators.
‘There’s a lot of places where I don’t see eye-to-eye with this current administration, but we do agree on this much.
‘The most effective solution for the Colorado River system is one collaboratively crafted and agreed upon by the basin states and tribes, rather than having a decision imposed by authorities in Washington, D.C.’
Low water level strip on cliff at lake Mead seen from Hoover Dam at Nevada and Arizona border, USA
Democratic Rep. Susie Lee, seen at the Southern Nevada Water Summit in August, expressed on X: ‘No one understands the value of our water resources more than a Nevadan.’
Jack Schmidt, a professor at Utah State University, commented to the Nevada Current that ‘the worst-case scenario has materialized’, and warned that without significant action, the river could be nearing a crisis state.
‘We’ve got the onset of an extremely dry year, and we’re on the brink of collapsing the system,’ he added.
The 112-mile-long lake suffered a severe drought in 2022 that exposed sunken boats, dead bodies and fish carcasses.
Water levels receded almost 60 feet in the two years before the drought, at which point it reached lows of 1040 feet above sea level.
Lake Mead can hold almost 9 trillion gallons of water, according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.
‘However, due to ongoing drought conditions and a hotter, drier climate, the lake’s elevation has dropped more than 150 feet, and water levels are expected to decline even further,’ the SNWA’s website said.
‘If Lake Mead falls below 895 feet in elevation, or, water cannot flow through Hoover Dam to California, Arizona and Mexico.’
In June, a report from environmental firm AEM showed that Lake Mead and Powell, crucial reservoirs that provide drinking water for 40 million Americans, have ‘reached alarmingly low levels, holding just one-third of their usual capacity,’ USA Today reported.
Utah State University professor Jack Schmidt said that ‘the worst has come true’ and, without serious intervention, the river could be on the ‘brink of crisis’
On Thursday at the Southern Nevada Water Summit, Lee, seen here, said it was ‘crunch time’ to draft new operating rules for the reservoirs, as the current rules are set to expire next year
‘This shortage poses significant challenges to agriculture, urban water supplies, and industries reliant on consistent water availability,’ the report added.
Should states that rely on the Colorado River fail to reach an agreement, Scott Cameron, the Department of the Interior acting assistant secretary for water and science, indicated that Secretary Doug Burgum would step in, The Colorado Sun reported.
‘He’s not looking forward to that, but in the absence of a seven-state agreement, he will do it,’ Cameron said according to the outlet.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned that drought conditions in the Colorado River Basin also demanded urgent new agreements.
‘We must develop new, sustainable operating guidelines that are robust enough to withstand ongoing drought and poor runoff conditions,’ David Palumbo, USBR’s acting commissioner, said in a statement at the time, Newsweek reported.
Colby Pellegrino, Southern Nevada Water Authority deputy general manager, said: ‘I’ve been a part of every river deal that’s happened on this river since 2006, and this chapter is really hard when we look at where our reservoirs are today.’
Should states that rely on the Colorado River fail to reach an agreement, Scott Cameron, the Department of the Interior acting assistant secretary for water and science, indicated that Secretary Doug Burgum would step in
Nevada Representative Susie Lee (R) listen as former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the media at Lake Mead National Recreation Area regarding the ongoing drought in October 2021
Pellegrino said that all seven states are still considering what has been dubbed the ‘divorce’ concept, where a natural flow measured at Lees Ferry in Arizona would determine how much water is released from Lake Powell into Lake Mead, the LVRJ reported.
She said she supported the natural flow proposition, but the solution will depend on how much water is available.
‘It really gets to the heart of, we are going to have a wildly variable supply,’ Pellegrino said.
‘We don’t know how to do the limbo. We don’t know how low we can go. The percentage-based supply really helps stay true to what Mother Nature is providing us.’
‘We’ve got a long way to go to see if we can agree on the details,’ she added.
