What happens if Hoover Dam stops working?

It supplies about 25 million people with water in Boulder City, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson, all Nevada's cities. In addition to cutting off water supplies for homes and businesses in the area, a dam collapse would destroy all the irrigation water supplies for farms in the Imperial Valley.



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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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Although a physical collapse is not likely, officials believe that Lake Mead's water levels could reach what is known as the dead pool in just a few years. If this were to happen, it would mean no hydropower, no water supply, and all operations dependent on the dam would cease.

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Key Points. Lake Mead has dropped by 70% due to droughts in the West and it will take many years to refill again, naturally.

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Downriver towns and major cities would see the most damage, in the event of the dam's physical collapse. Water flows would engulf many towns and growing cities around Mohave county, including Laughlin, Nevada; Needles, California; Lake Havasu, Arizona; and even as far south as Yuma, Arizona, and San Luis Rey, Colorado.

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Hoover Dam provides about 355 megawatts to the Nevada Power system. Contrary to common belief, Las Vegas does not get most of its power from the dam. It also does not get most of the power produced at the dam. California and Arizona get most of the dam's generated power.

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If the Hoover Dam ever breaks, the entire region downriver would suffer from immense flooding, a loss of available water for consumption and irrigation would create a humanitarian crisis, and the region would lose access to some power in the short term.

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It wouldn't be flooded, since the water would start draining southeast of the city and rush south down the Colorado canyon away from Las Vegas Valley. However, Las Vegas gets all of its water from Lake Mead, so the city would quickly dry up.

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But while Lake Mead has filled up slightly since its low point of July 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation anticipates that the water levels will start to decline again come spring. A Bureau of Reclamation study published in January predicted that Lake Mead could reach a new all-time low in 2023.

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The water elevation in Lake Mead is around 1,040 feet above sea level. At 950 feet, Hoover Dam will be at its lowest point to be able produce power, according to the US Bureau of Reclamation.

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Mead reaches dead pool at 895 feet. If Lake Powell reaches dead pool, the US Bureau of Reclamation—which declined our interview requests—would be unable to meet its obligation to deliver water downstream to Lake Mead. In which case, 40 million people would be affected.

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According to reports, the structure of the dam creates such a hugely powerful updraft that the air pushes things back against gravity. The dam is shaped like a bow. This structure is the main reason for this unique phenomenon where even the water is pushed upwards by the air.

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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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