Latest projection shows Lake Mead down about 30 feet in 2 years
The Bureau of Reclamation’s latest 24-month projection estimates that Lake Mead will drop to 1,020.53 feet by November 2023 and will fall to 1,016.85 feet by October 2024.
As of 6 p.m. Thursday the lake was at 1,044.14 feet at Hoover Dam.
The “dead pool” level at Lake Mead is 895 feet. At that point no water can be released downstream and power cannot be produced.
Estimates are based on the most probable inflow, which is subject to weather and federal efforts to revise guidelines for operations at Hoover and Glen Canyon dams.
The Interior Department is considering three proposals that would modify the current guidelines it says are needed to keep Lake Mead and Lake Powell from dropping to levels that would threaten their abilities to produce electricity or deliver water downstream.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.