Hoover Dam Reservoir Reached ‘Tipping Point’ Amid Decades of Drought

Experts are warning that Lake Mead is reaching dangerously low levels, which could impact 40 million Americans.

According to a Monday, August 24 report by the Daily Mail, America’s largest reservoir has reached its lowest level in history, adding that the reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River has lost 180 feet of water over the last 30 years.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill told the outlet that the dry weather of the region has pushed water levels to “the tipping point.”

While the US Bureau of Reclamation plans to cut water usage from the Colorado River by 20 percent, Merrill explained, “There’s still going to be significant shortages of water.”

“The hope is there’s a much better winter than last winter was, but this will likely continue to be a problem even by this time next year,” he added.

As a result of the low water levels, the Hoover Dam’s hydropower output has dropped dramatically, Popular Mechanics reported on August 10.

“It’s a crisis moment for the Colorado River,” John Berggren, regional policy manager for Western Resource Advocates, told the magazine. “We’ve known about this problem for years.”

Even if the winter provides ample rainfall, experts worry that the lakebeds will be too dry to absorb the water, which could trigger flash floods.

“For those folks out west, just make sure that you practice your flash flood plan, just like folks in the Midwest practice their severe weather plan when we get into the spring season,” Merrill told Daily Mail.

The impacted region of the Colorado River supplies drinking water and irrigation across seven states in the Southwest.