May water supply: Lake Mead is dropping after lackluster winter
Lake Mead has declined about three feet in elevation since the start of May, and officials are prepping for a future with less water with an extended boat ramp at Hemenway Harbor. While seasonal dips are normal this time of year, the reservoir is about 10 feet lower than it was at this same time last year. As of Monday, Lake Mead’s elevation clocked in at 1,059 feet, while Lake Powell to the northeast is at 3,558 feet. Both reservoirs are currently 32% full. Winter totals have now been calculated, with the Upper Colorado region tracking at just 58% of the median snowpack as of Monday. This region is the source of most of Nevada’s annual water supply. Current runoff projections from that snowpack are at just 55%, continuing a troubling trend. Colorado River streamflow has shrunk by about 20% since 2000.
Other snowmelt and water supply news around the West:
