Monday Top of the Scroll: Nevada has lots of water in a Lake Mead “bank.” What happens if water levels keep dropping?
Much like a household puts money into a savings account, Southern Nevada has been setting aside part of its allocated Colorado River water in Lake Mead for the last two decades. At the end of 2025, the state had approximately 890,000 acre-feet of that water in the proverbial bank, according to the Bureau of Reclamation’s annual water accounting report. Nevada’s bank holds nearly three years’ worth of the water the state can take from the river, which is capped at 300,000 acre-feet a year. … But under federal rules for the river, most of the water can’t be taken out once Lake Mead drops below 1,000 feet above sea level. Water levels at the lake sat at 1,037 feet on Oct. 18, according to the Bureau of Reclamation. … The bank may also stop growing. Under Reclamation’s river operating rules, no new water can be added to the bank after Dec. 31 unless the Lower Basin reaches an agreement.
Other Colorado River management news:
- Cowboy State Daily (Cheyenne, Wyo.): AG: Nevada judge could dictate Wyoming’s future share of Colorado River water
- Wyoming News (Casper, Wyo.): Water Committee receives update on Colorado River Basin
- KSL (Salt Lake City): Floods bring rare relief to US Southwest reservoirs as Lake Powell rises 20 feet
- Colorado Public Radio: Colorado’s anemic water flows could have been worse if not for a vote 6 years ago
- Big Pivots: Blog: Why did Andy Mueller drive to Rocky Ford?
