Has the rain in Las Vegas helped Lake Mead?

“The rain we received due to the Tropical Storm Hilary and runoff into the tributaries that enter Lake Mead as well as reduced releases from Hoover Dam — due to a decrease in downstream demand — have had some impact on the lake's elevation,” Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Doug Hendrix said in an email.



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Las Vegas has two systems for disposing of excess water. The sewage system carries sink and toilet water to a treatment plant, where it's processed before being sent to Lake Mead. Rain and runoff water travels through storm drains and channels directly to the Las Vegas Wash and on to the lake.

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Lake Mead sees 'significant improvement' in water levels after drought led to disturbing discoveries. In October 2022, the water levels at the reservoir were roughly 1,046 feet.

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It would actually take six more years of heavy rainfall in a row to refill the Lake Mead reservoir completely.

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“While the amount of precipitation received in the lower basin and from tributary inflows helps, the greatest source of water for Lake Mead is still snow melt and flows from the upper basin.”

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The water levels for Lake Mead are projected to reach slightly over 1,065 feet by January 2024, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, in large part due to an extremely wet winter that eased the effects of the longstanding drought. In October 2022, the water levels were at a historic low, at roughly 1,046 feet.

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Lake Powell and Lake Mead are unlikely to refill for another 50 years - and would need SIX consecutive years of deadly atmospheric rivers to replenish.

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What happens if Lake Mead dries up forever? If Lake Mead were to run out of water, the Hoover Dam would no longer be able to generate power or provide water to surrounding cities and farms. The Colorado River would essentially stop flowing, and the Southwest would be in a major water crisis.

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Lake Mead expected to have gained 20 feet of water by end of 2023. By the end of the year, the water level at Lake Mead is expected to be at least 20 feet higher than it was in January, according to a Bureau of Reclamation forecast released this week.

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With intervening flows between Lake Powell and Lake Mead of 1.32 maf in CY 2023, Lake Mead's physical elevation is projected to be 1,065.42 feet on December 31, 2023. The WY 2023 unregulated inflow into Lake Powell in the August Probable Maximum inflow scenario is 13.75 maf, or 143% of average.

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Without Lake Mead, Las Vegas would lose access to 90 percent of its water sources. If Lake Mead were to reach dead pool, it would technically still be able to supply drinking water to Las Vegas. But there will not be enough water for agricultural activities.

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Rising temperatures due to climate change have sapped more than 10 trillion gallons of water from the Colorado River over the last two decades, enough water to completely fill Lake Mead from top to bottom, according to a recent study from researchers at UCLA.

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Lake Mead has dropped by 70% due to droughts in the West and it will take many years to refill again, naturally. The reservoir is vitally important to millions of people as a source of water, electricity, and recreation.

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Studies show that a project like this would be possible, though it would take decades of construction and billions of dollars. Maybe even trillions.

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Although Lake Mead has started to recover, it still has a long way to go before it is stable and healthy. After reaching record lows in 2022, Lake Mead has seen some signs of recovery in 2023 thanks to a precipitation-heavy winter that increased the snowpack throughout the Colorado River Basin.

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The water levels for Lake Mead are projected to reach slightly over 1,065 feet by January 2024, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, in large part due to an extremely wet winter that eased the effects of the longstanding drought. In October 2022, the water levels were at a historic low, at roughly 1,046 feet.

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Lake Mead water levels were at record low levels last summer but snow over the winter and former Hurricane Hilary helped restore some water to the basin. Professor of Snow Hydrology Steven Fassnacht, with Colorado State University, joins FOX Weather to talk about how far Lake Mead has to go.

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