New satellite images from NASA have shown historic low levels of water at the United States’ largest reservoir, due to severe drought.
The images show the impact the dry spell has had on Lake Mead in the American southwest.
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As of 18 July 2022, Lake Mead was filled to just 27% of capacity – it’s lowest level since April 1937, when the reservoir was still being filled for the first time.
According to lake elevation data from the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), as of 18 July, 2022, the water elevation at the Hoover Dam was 1041ft (317m) above sea level.
While the water elevation at the end of July 2000 was nearly 1,200ft (366m) above sea level.
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At maximum capacity, Lake Mead would reach an elevation 1,220ft (372m) near the dam.
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Reduced rainfall and warmer temperatures have been linked to climate change, while there has also been an increased demand for irrigation and household water use.
This has left reservoirs unable to build up supply during the winter and has led to a decline in water levels over time.
According to the latest data from the United States Drought Monitor, 95% of states in the western US experienced some form of drought this year, while 28% are facing extreme drought conditions.
Lake Mead was formed by the creation of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in 1935, a projected commission by President Herbert Hoover during the Great Depression.
The construction of the dam created thousands of jobs but cost over 100 lives.
In modern America, it serves about 25 million people in several states including Arizona, California and Nevada, as well as some in Mexico.
The Hoover Dam requires a water elevation of 1,000ft (305m) to continue operating hydropower turbines at normal levels.
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