Lake Mead - Circle of Blue

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Lake Mead

In dropping to a record-low water level Lake Mead, which straddles the Colorado River between southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona, has emerged as an important measure of water insecurity in the American West. Just as the stock market serves as a national gauge of American economic stress — causing strain as prices go down, relieving psychic pressure as they go up — Lake Mead’s steadily declining water levels are a visible measure of intensifying water scarcity in the fastest growing region of the United States.

Colorado River Basin Features

The Colorado River Basin’s Daunting New Math

Amid Dire Colorado River Outlook, States Plan to Tap Their Lake Mead Savings Accounts

Conservation Prevents Colorado River Shortage Declaration

Lake Mead Record Low Reflects Changing American West

Lake Mead Drops But Hoover Dam Powers On

In Drying Colorado River Basin, Indian Tribes Are Water Dealmakers

Water Supply at Risk, Las Vegas Considers $650 Million Insurance Policy

Colorado River Research Group Delivers Message of Water Limits

In Colorado River Basin, Groundwater Is Disappearing Much Faster than Lake Mead

Infographic: Hoover Dam’s Troubled Waters

Jolted by Reality, Colorado River Water Managers Plan for Persistent Drought

Runoff Forecast for Colorado River Shrinks in March

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