Lake Mead Hits Historic Low Water Level

August 9, 2026 6:41 am

BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — The largest reservoir in the United States has plummeted to its lowest water level since it was created some 90 years ago. Federal data shows Lake Mead fell Friday to a level just below the prior record-low set in July 2022. It’s another sign of the crisis plaguing the Colorado River, a major waterway that supplies the U.S. West. The record comes after the worst snowpack on record for the Colorado River Basin. Federal officials recently announced a proposal to stave off a crisis in the beleaguered waterway by having the states of California, Nevada and Arizona to share cuts.