The water level in Lake Mead hit record lows, pushing the largest man-made reservoir in
the U.S. 895 feet away from a dead pool.
A dead pool is a state where the water level in a reservoir drops to the point where it
can't be released via the dam.
Currently, the water level in Lake Mead stands anywhere from 1,044.03 feet.
This month saw the lowest recorded level of water in Lake Mead since the lake was created
in the 1930s.
Lake Mead has decreased in size due to climate change and growing water consumption throughout
the southwestern part of the U.S. over the past two decades.
While it would take a dip of 895 feet for the lake to become a dead pool, that possibility
is still light-years away.
The resultant effect of the lake reaching a dead pool would have a devastating impact
on the inhabitants of Arizona, California, Nevada, and sections of Mexico.
Simultaneously, water managers in the southwestern states, led by the Bureau of Reclamation,
are working to regulate inflows into the Colorado River.
They also seek to enforce water allocation parity among the states in the region.
These actions are intended to help restore Lake Mead's water supply as well as Lake Powell,
another reservoir in worse shape.
Even if Lake Mead never reached a dead pool, there is still the danger that water levels
could drop so low as to impede the generation of hydroelectric power.
According to Robert Glennon, an emeritus professor at the University of Arizona, as the water
level drops in our western reservoirs, electricity generation becomes problematic.
When a reservoir runs dry, less water flows through the turbines, resulting in less liquid
pressure to spin the turbines and less electricity production, he added.
According to data collected by the Bureau of Reclamation, Lake Mead's water levels have
dropped dramatically in recent years.
By the end of June 2020, the lake's water level stood at around 1,087 feet.
However, just a year ago, Lake Mead's elevation was 1,069 feet above sea level.
While the receding water in the lake is quite worrying, the discoveries being made are quite
interesting.
As the lake dries up, it unearths what it has buried and some date back to the World
War II era.
The dwindling water level of Lake Mead in late April revealed an inlet pipe that has
been supplying Nevadans with water since 1971.
According to the Las Vegas Police Department, the dead rotting body of a man was discovered
and placed in a steel barrel somewhere at the reservoir's Hemenway Fishing Pier.
After a thorough examination of the remains, Lt. Ray Spencer confirmed that evidence of
gunshot wounds suggests the body was murdered.
According to Spencer, the body is currently being examined for identification by the Clark
County Medical Examiner.
He stated that, based on the victim's attire and footwear, investigators have determined
that his death occurred between the years 1975 and 1980.
An expert on mafia history in Las Vegas, Geoff Schumacher, believes the found body was a
victim of mob violence.
Geoff is also the vice-chairman of exhibits and programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.
According to him, the practice of dumping victims in barrels is a time-honored mob strategy
that dates back to the 18th century.
Though he is quite familiar with such instances, he claims it's probably the first case to
have been discovered in Lake Mead.
Given that mob violence was once prevalent in Las Vegas, he believes there are more shocking
discoveries to be made as the lake recedes.
The second set of human remains was discovered only a week after the first.
It was found by park officials at the lake close to Callville Bay.
It was immediately taken in by the Clark County Medical Examiner for identification and cause
of death.
The Las Vegas Police Department came out with a report that there was not enough reason
to believe the individual was murdered.
Two sisters named Lindsey and Lynette Melvin are credited by authorities with making the
discovery while paddleboarding on the lake.
Like many others who have perished in the lake over the years, authorities believe the
remains to be those of a drowning victim.
However, exposed pipelines and skeletal remains aren't the only objects to be discovered in
the muck.
Aside from the scores of submerged boats and enormous amounts of rubbish, there have been
several firearms, detonated munitions, historical ornaments, and more.
Perhaps the most exciting object thus far is the B-29 Superfortress Bomber, which is
resting at the bottom of Lake Mead.
When it was first released, the B-29 Superfortress Bomber represented the bleeding edge of aviation
technology.
The B-29 crashed into Lake Mead because of a navigational error while it was conducting
atmospheric testing.
All five members of the crew were out of harm's way before the plane crashed and plummeted
into the lake.
It wasn't until 2002 that local divers discovered the B-29's wreckage.
Archaeologists from the National Park Service finally mapped and documented the site of
the crash in 2003.
Another interesting discovery would be the appearance of a somewhat ghost town.
In the 1930s, when the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead were being built, a small Nevada community
by the name of St. Thomas was deliberately flooded.
When it was built in 1865, St. Thomas was a successful Mormon town with farms, a school,
a hotel, a grocery store, a post office, and an ice cream shop.
The town of St. Thomas was flooded due to the damming of the Colorado River, which resulted
in Lake Mead.
Lake Mead's rising levels drowned St. Thomas entirely.
Calville, along with neighboring Anasazi Indian sites, was another community inundated by
Lake Mead.
The National Park Service claims that it has repeatedly emerged and vanished throughout
the years in response to fluctuating water levels in Lake Mead.
Visitors who want to explore the ruins of the ghost town can do so.
One will be sure to encounter cracked ground and the foundations of old structures like
the St. Thomas School House.
Apparently, all historical objects from the site are under federal protection.
The Lost City Museum, which is located in Overton at 721 S Moapa Valley Blvd., houses
even more items discovered in the region.
Despite the dwindling lake being a cause for worry, it has captured the disturbing attention
of both tourists and long-time inhabitants.
Many people believe that wherever there are bodies, there will be treasures.
As buried things are discovered, it is impossible to predict what might be discovered next,
whether it be a cash barrel or the remains of an extinct species.
A full-scale treasure hunt has been mitigated by the fact that Lake Mead is located on public
land within a national recreation area.
Though the use of metal detectors or big magnets to search for sunken objects is prohibited,
law enforcement officers occasionally find people breaking the rule.
The persistent drought in the Southwest during the past 23 years can be held as one of the
responsible factors for the depletion of Lake Mead.
The drying out has been made worse by both human consumption and activities like the
combustion of fossil fuels.
Despite the worrying state of Lake Mead, it is projected that the current climate conditions,
like a warmer and drier atmosphere, will persist in the Southwest states.
Nonetheless, there is also an increasing population, which would require more water consumption.
Earlier this year, water was sent upstream from Lake Mead to preserve hydropower generation
at Lake Powell.
Hoover Dam's power output has decreased by around 13% due to the falling water level.
Ideally, the greater the water in Lake Mead, the more pressure is produced, leading to
more power generation.
Whether or not Lake Mead and Lake Powell can continue to supply hydropower in the future
is becoming an increasing concern for federal officials.
The future of Lake Mead was discussed at a Senate hearing last month, where Bureau of
Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton spoke.
She argued that next year's water allocation from Lakes Mead and Powell needs to be drastically
cut.
While it may be a brilliant option, it comes with a hit.
About 7 million acre-feet of Colorado River water was consumed by California, Arizona,
and Nevada last year.
Next year, these states will have a maximum of about 4 million acre-feet of water at their
disposal.
It would definitely have an impact on the availability of water for agriculture in states
like California and Arizona, which produce 25% of the nation's foodstuff.
Aside from agriculture, the economies of the Southwest, which rely heavily on water usage,
would be negatively impacted.
The lake was once the setting for happy recollections, but nowadays it seems more like a scenario
from an environmental trainwreck.
Some people assume the lake is hiding treasures, while others say it might not be safe to go
there anymore.
Visitors to Lake Mead are advised to exercise extreme caution near the lake's shorelines
because of the increased likelihood of encountering hazards there.
Because of the rate at which the water has receded, what appears to be dry land is frequently
merely a thin layer of sunbaked clay concealing a swamp.
And there you have it.
It is now time for us to hear from you.
Let us know in the comments your take on the receding water level of Lake Mead.
And for those living in the Southwestern states, how best do you think the situation can be
handled?
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