Category: Lake Mead

Biden Admin Proposes Reducing Water Supply From Colorado River Basin Amid Drought

The Biden administration has proposed a federal mandate to reduce the supply of water to 40 million Americans who live in western states dependent on the Colorado River Basin to address long-term severe drought and low run-off conditions. The actions were part of a draft report by the Department of the Interior’s (DOI’s) Bureau of Reclamation….


Lake Mead Water Levels Rises, Surpassing Expectations

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…


7 Facts to Know About Lake Mead

By Taylor Lane From Las Vegas Review-Journal Las Vegas—Among the sunken ships and undiscovered bodies at Lake Mead lies a boatload of rich history at one of the West’s most popular outdoor attractions. Lake Mead National Recreation Area is America’s first and largest recreation area, offering swimming, boating, hiking, cycling, camping and fishing. Here is…


Ghost Towns Resurfacing As Lakes Recede Amid Worsening Western Drought

Every two or three years, Lake Isabella’s shoreline pulls back almost like clockwork, and the former town of Old Kernville, California, rises from its watery grave to reveal its crumbling skeleton. Retired Hollywood cinematographer Chuck Barbee has watched the lake give up its famous ghost town many times with interest. The main difference today, he…


Nevada Water Company Files For Bankruptcy Amid Worsening Drought

LAS VEGAS—One of Southern Nevada’s longest-running private water companies has gone under financially amid the region’s worsening drought. The Basic Water Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early September with roughly $50 million in reported assets and more than $7 million in bond debt. On July 1, the company ceased operations when the Lake…


The 100-Year-Old ‘Political Scheme’ Behind the Lake Mead Disaster | Facts Matter

Lake Mead is the largest water reservoir in the United States. Not only is it just big, but it’s also quite old as well. It was formed about a hundred years ago, back in the 1930s, due to the construction of the Hoover Dam: when the Hoover Dam was put up on the Colorado River, Lake…


Nevada’s Water Source Going Dry But Won’t Impact Las Vegas—For Now

Lake Mead and the Colorado River Basin are responsible for 90 percent of water for Southern Nevada and Las Vegas. They’re going dry. Indeed, as a result of depleting water levels during the drought, the Bureau of Reclamation cut Southern Nevada’s water allocation by 7 billion gallons last January. In January 2023, it’ll cut an…


Body Near Lake Mead Swimming Site 3rd to Surface Since May

LAS VEGAS—Another body has surfaced at Lake Mead—this time in a swimming area where water levels have dropped as the Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam recedes because of drought and climate change. The National Park Service did not say in a statement how long officials think the corpse was submerged in the Boulder Beach…


As Lake Mead Dries Up, a Gruesome Discovery Is Made in a Barrel

BOULDER CITY, Nev.—As Lake Mead in Nevada recedes further due to the ongoing drought, it slowly gives up its secrets. On May 7, two sisters walking along the sandy banks at Lake Mead National Recreation Area found human skeletal remains. It would be the second of two gruesome discoveries made at the man-made reservoir this…


Watery Graves Recall Early Las Vegas’ Organized Crime Days

LAS VEGAS—Stories about long-departed Las Vegas organized crime figures are surfacing after a second set of unidentified human remains were revealed as the water level falls on drought-stricken Lake Mead. The reservoir on the Colorado River is about a 30-minute drive from the mob-founded Las Vegas Strip. “There’s no telling what we’ll find in Lake…