Lake Mead water levels falling to lowest since 1937

Venise Toussaint
KSNV mynews3.com

BOULDER CITY, Nev. -- Lake Mead, the valley's primary source of drinking water, continues to shrink under the crippling drought. This week the water level at Lake Mead is expected to hit its lowest level since 1937.

Despite the rain and the flash floods from Mount Charleston, no amount of runoff is enough to replenish Lake Mead.

One doesn't have to look very closely to see the white rings around Lake Mead, which show where the water level used to be.

"We're very concerned about the continued drought of course; we're in the fourteenth year of drought," said Jayne Harkins with the Colorado River Commission.

Harkins is keeping a close eye on the lake and this week she says the water level is expected to drop to 1,081 feet, which is 23.5 feet lower than last year.

A drop to 1,075 feet could force reductions in the amount of water being pumped from the lake, and in turn affect the water available for consumption.

The good news is the community has conserved enough water so that they won't see the impact of those reductions.

Harkins said the lake isn’t expected to get this low for another two years, and even when it does she says southern Nevadans likely won’t be impacted right away.