LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — For four days in a row, the water level at Lake Mead has fallen. While this alone is not enough data to show the annual fall decline has begun, it’s an indication that the recent lake level rise due to rain in our area might be over.
Lake Mead hit a record low of 1,040.77 feet above sea level on July 23. Since then it has been rising, more than three feet to 1,044.40 feet on Sept. 2.
But since Sept. 2, the water level has dropped each day.
From Sept. 2 to Sept. 7 the lake has fallen 4.56 inches to a level of 1,044.12 Wednesday morning. The last time the lake level fell to this was a week and a half ago on Aug. 28.
In August Lake Mead’s water level increased by at least 3.3 feet mainly due to the monsoonal flow bringing heavy rain and runoff to the Colorado River basin around and north of Lake Mead.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation, 64% of the most recent lake level rise came from rain runoff, and the other 36% was from decreased downstream demand.
LAKE POWELL
To the north, Lake Powell also continues to lose water. Since hitting a high water level at the beginning of July it has dropped approximately nine feet. The lake level, however, is still eight feet higher than its all-time low in late April.