The Southwestern U.S Drought - Some Hydrological Impacts -
Lake Mead Elevation at Hoover Dam Continues to Fall

Dr. Ken Dewey, High Plains Regional Climate Center and National Drought Mitigation Center

October 31, 2006 Report

 Image © Ken Dewey, HPRCC.  Lake Mead at 51% of capacity (October 31, 2006).
For more information about this photo and what is indicated by the red lines put on the image, see the photo galleries.

The white "bathtub ring" is the result of exposing rocks that were at one time
under the water and collecting mineral deposits.  A clear glass, for example, dipped in
water and then allowed to dry will have mineral deposit "spots" on the glass.

> The level of Lake Mead at Hoover Dam has been falling since October 1998, when it reached the all-time high of 1215.76 feet.

> The level of Lake Mead at Hoover Dam has dropped 89.63 feet since October 1998.

> The October 2006 level of 1126.13 feet is the lowest October level since 1964 when it was only 1095.12 feet.

> It took 19 years after the 1964 low point for Lake Mead to fill up again.