Water levels in Lake Mead, located about 30 miles east of Las Vegas in the Colorado River, have surpassed predictions following four months of winter storms in California that began in December.
As of April 4, it was measured at almost 1,046 feet, which is nearly three feet higher than projected. On the same day last year, it was measured at 1,060 feet.
The Colorado River has several man-made reservoirs to store water for western states, with Lake Mead being the largest. Built in the 1930s, it is the primary source of drinking water for Southern California, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
Last July, its water level was the lowest in its history dropping to 1,040.71, which resulted in visible “bathtub rings” around the lake.
Boaters cruise in front of mineral-stained rocks in The Narrows upstream of the Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nev., on July 28, 2022. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Water suppliers at the federal, state, and local levels within the Colorado River Basin have collaborated for over 10 years to mitigate the reduction of water levels in Lake Mead.
The low capacity prompted various water management measures, such as conservation and restrictions.
Data also suggests that Lake Powell—located upstream of Lake Mead—is at almost 3,522 feet and showing signs of recovery, with its water level rising by more than a foot in the last month, after hitting an all-time-low in mid-March.
As the snowpack in Colorado begins to melt, the Bureau of Reclamation may prioritize refilling Lake Powell before Lake Mead, allowing the former to benefit from the runoff.
According to information from water-data.com, the Upper Colorado Basin Snowpack is up nearly 149 percent compared to this time last year.