Lake Mead plummets to historic low water level as Colorado River struggles

A paddle boat in Lake Mead near the Hoover Dam, far below the bathtub ring of light minerals indicating the lack of water, near Boulder City, Nevada, on 7 August. Photograph: Ty ONeil/AP

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has plummeted to its lowest water level since it was filled about 90 years ago, the latest sign of a deepening water crisis in the American west.

Water levels at the reservoir, which straddles the Arizona-Nevada border outside Las Vegas, hit 1,040.4ft (317.1 meters) above sea level on Friday, according to federal data. That’s just short of the record set on 28 July 2022, according to the US Bureau of Reclamation.