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Lake Mead, nation's largest reservoir, hits record low
Federal officials say cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet a year could follow as the reservoir nears thresholds for hydropower and water delivery.
- On Thursday, Lake Mead fell to 1,040.5 feet, breaking its previous record low set in July 2022 and marking the lowest level since the reservoir's creation nine decades ago.
- Extreme heat and 25 years of persistent drought have driven the decline, with the National Weather Service issuing an Extreme Heat Warning for the region lasting until Saturday evening.
- The Colorado River provides water for 40 million people across the United States, with agriculture accounting for roughly 70 percent of water use, while heavy demands combined with climate change have pushed the system into crisis.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum continues negotiations on a 10-year operating framework that could require Basin States to make collective cuts of up to 3 million acre-feet annually, though no deal has been reached after years of fraught discussions.
- Projected to drop further as evaporation and ongoing water demands pressure supplies, Lake Mead faces continued strain; Burgum states future management must remain flexible to respond to changing hydrologic conditions.
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The Mead and Powell lakes are at their lowest.
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Lake Mead Falls to Record Low as Western Drought Persists
Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir by storage capacity, has fallen to its lowest level on record as drought persists across the American West, according to U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) data. The reservoir’s surface elevation measured 1,040.50 feet above sea level on Thursday, below the previous record low of 1,040.58 feet set in July […]
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Total News Sources150
Leaning Left31Leaning Right21Center84Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 23%
C 62%
15%
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