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- Hoover Dam (then Boulder Dam) began construction in 1931National Park Service: Lake Mead
- Highest water level ever reached: 1,229 feet above sea level, 7.5 feet over the spillwayBureau of Reclamation: Lake Mead
- Normal elevation: 1,221.4 feet above sea level
- At elevation 1,221.4, reservoir covers 157,900 acres or 247 square milesBureau of Reclamation: Lake Mead
- At elevation 1,221.4, Lake Mead holds 28,537,000 acre-feet of waterBureau of Reclamation: Lake Mead
- Elevation on April 14, 2009: 1,105 feet aslLas Vegas Review: DROUGHT LINGERS: Lake sinking near 1965 level (April 18, 2009)
- Projected July 2009: 1092 feetLas Vegas Review: DROUGHT LINGERS: Lake sinking near 1965 level (April 18, 2009)
- Trigger point for federal shortage declaration: 1,075Las Vegas Review: DROUGHT LINGERS: Lake sinking near 1965 level (April 18, 2009)
- Las Vegas Valley gets 90% of its drinking water from Lake MeadLas Vegas Review: DROUGHT LINGERS: Lake sinking near 1965 level (April 18, 2009)
- Reservoir named after Elwood MeadNational Park Service: Lake Mead
- Dam first manmade structure larger than the Pyramid of GizaBureau of Reclamation: The Story of Hoover Dam
- 5 million of barrels of Portland cement and 4.5 million cubic yards of aggregateBureau of Reclamation: The Story of Hoover Dam
- Became a recreation area in 1964National Park Service: Lake Mead
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Lake Mead is a man-made reservoir located about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, that was created in 1931 when the U.S. government built the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River.MercuryNews: Lake Mead water level set to drop below 1965 mark (April 14, 2009)
On April 14, 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned that the water level in Lake Mead is expected to drop to its lowest level since May 1965. If Lake Mead drops below 1,075 feet, it would trigger water use restrictions in Nevada and Arizona.MercuryNews: Lake Mead water level set to drop below 1965 mark (April 14, 2009)
2009 Drought
In 1965, the last time Lake Mead shrank below 1,100 feet, it was because Lake Powell was being filled. In 2009, below average snowfall in the Rocky Mountains has provided below average snowmelt for eight of the past 10 years.Las Vegas Review: DROUGHT LINGERS: Lake sinking near 1965 level (April 18, 2009)If the trigger point of 1,075 is reached, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico would have to reduce their combined water use by 400,000 acre-feet a year. In Nevada, there is sufficient reserves to cover the shortfall for 10 years, but that may prove difficult if the lake continues to shrink.Las Vegas Review: DROUGHT LINGERS: Lake sinking near 1965 level (April 18, 2009)
Water and Power
Lake Mead and Hoover Dam provide water and energy to Nevada, Arizona and California. The power plant generates an average of about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power each year.Bureau of Reclamation: Hydropower at Hoover DamThe Colorado River basin which keeps Lake Mead drains an area of some 242,000 square miles, in seven states and Mexico. Water is apportioned to The Colorado River Compact, enacted in 1948, allots 7,500,000 acre-feet of water per year to people living in two basins, the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins
The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Interior is the "water master", responsible for distributing all Colorado River water below Hoover Dam. Contracts with Arizona and Nevada are fulfilled on the basis of the water's availability under the existing compacts.US Bureau of Reclamation: The Colorado River
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