Lake Mead, Water Rights, and the Aridification of the West
Lake Mead, which rests on the Southern border of Nevada, is becoming a diminishing and daunting image of the future of water in the Western United States. In a summer already plagued by wildfires and decimating heat waves, federal authorities are expected to administer their first-ever shortage declaration since the inception of the reservoir in 1935.
The body of water, which lies roughly 30 miles outside of Las Vegas, is a shadow of what it once was. On every shoreline, markers of former water levels exhibit the dire drop in the lake over the past decade. In June, Lake Mead reached its lowest water level, falling under 1,071.6 feet. To understand what this means, we need to understand the physical and political landscape that makes up the history of the Colorado River.
The Iconic River of the American West
One of America’s most famous rivers, the Colorado River runs 1,450 miles from the Continental Divide in Northern Colorado to the vibrant waters of the Gulf of California. The river comprises a variety of natural formations, including those of the Grand Canyon and Big Bend. It provides power and water…
