Crypto World
The U.S.’s Largest Reservoir Just Fell to Its Lowest Water Level
Seven U.S. states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming—Native American tribes, as well as two Mexican states, turn to the Colorado River Basin, not only for drinking water supply, but for agriculture, industry, and hydropower production.
The dwindling supply at Lake Mead puts hydropower at risk as the latest figures show it’s not far from the 1,035-ft operational threshold: when elevation drops to this level, some turbines at Hoover Dam will have to shut down, and its generation capacity would drop by 70%. A July 2026 forecast from the Bureau of Reclamation shows that Lake Mead water levels could come close to that threshold in the next few months and could fall below that by spring next year.
For years, states have tried to discuss how to allocate and conserve the water in the basin, but negotiations have led to disagreements and even threats of lawsuits. The federal government intervened and, in a proposal last month, suggested that the three states that make up the Lower Basin—Arizona, California, and Nevada—take less water.
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