Lake Mead water level expected to drop in 2-year projection

A projection from the Bureau of Reclamation shows Lake Mead’s water level could drop more than 30 feet in the next two years, according to a study posted in April.

The water level was at 1,054.69 feet at the end of April, according to bureau data. That number could fall as low as 1,020 or as high as 1,050, according to the projections, but is most likely to be around 1,045.

The new projections came from a group that uses metrics from a 30-year period to chart the lake’s water level in the future. New projections are published monthly and extend for the next two years.

According to data from the bureau, the lake’s water level has been declining steadily for years. In April 2020, the elevation stood at 1,098.59, and that number stood at 1,084.39 in April 2021.

In December, water agencies in Nevada, California and Arizona joined the bureau in signing the so-called “500+ plan,” a new effort to buoy Lake Mead’s elevation by about 16 feet over the next two years.

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.