Lake Mead inches from new record four years after historic low

Trevor Squire, Las Vegas Review-Journal on Jul 27, 2026

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LAS VEGAS — Four years ago, Lake Mead hit a historic low, a harbinger of the threat facing Southern Nevada’s primary water source.

Lake Mead reached its record low of 1,040.58 feet above sea level on July 27, 2022. As Lake Mead’s water level continues to trend downward over the past 20 years, conditions this year have stressed its supply further.

A record-low snowpack and the Trump administration’s emergency move to reduce flows into Lake Mead to protect Lake Powell’s infrastructure has left federal forecasters bullish that Lake Mead could set a new historic low soon.

On Monday afternoon, Lake Mead’s water level measured at 1,041.27 feet above sea level, less than a foot from its all-time low. The Bureau of Reclamation projected Lake Mead to dip below its historic mark by the end of the month.

As Lake Mead nears its previous record low, projections show it’s looking like the new norm. The Bureau of Reclamation projected the reservoir will fall to about 31 feet below its record low by June 2029 to 1,009.69 feet above sea level.

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