Lake Mead

Lake Mead is among the most significant reservoirs in the western United States, serving many of the cities along the Colorado River. Studies have shown that the levels of this lake are likely to drop over the coming years and that if no action is  to remedy this situation, then Lake Mead will most likely dry up by the year 2021. There are many factors other than climate change, which are believed to have a significant effect to the lake’s drying up. It is these factors, excluding climate change, which shall be discussed in this paper in relation to the dropping water levels on Lake Mead.

One of the factors which affect the increase in the dropping levels of water on Lake Mead is the rise in the human population which relies on the water supply from the lake. Lake Mead is responsible for the supply of water to such key cities as Phoenix and Las Vegas, and the ever increasing human population in these cities is stretching the ability of Lake Mead to supply water efficiently. If action is not taken to get an alternative source of water for this population, then it is most likely that the lake will indeed be dried up in a few years time (Henetz).

A significant factor, which has a crucial effect on the possible drying up of Lake Mead, is drought. This reservoir is situated at a place which is particularly prone to drought. It is, therefore, extremely difficult to predict whether a drought will last for only a few months, or for several years. This makes it highly uncertain that the water in lake will be maintained in the current levels. There are times when there is an abundance of rainfall to replenish the water supply, but such rains are always short and are, therefore, not reliable. It is more likely than not that drought will continue to plague this region unless there is a serious climatic change (Brean).

The maintenance of the water levels of Lake Powell, which is upstream of Lake Mead, also has an effect on the possibility of the latter drying up. More water is required to maintain the height of Lake Powell, and this is detrimental to Lake Mead. This is because Lake Mead is denied the necessary supplies of water needed to ensure that it does not dry up. Moreover, Lake Mead, as stated above, supplies ever growing cities, and because of this, it needs more water to ensure that this supply is stable. If this trend continues for the next few years, then it is inevitable that Lake Mead will dry up (Rogers).

Lake Mead, and by extension the Colorado River which maintains it, relies heavily on the abundance of snowfall to replenish its water supply (Hawkins). Snowfall is not usually abundant, and there are times when it is not enough to maintain the level required for the lake to be effective. This means that in order to supplement the water supply of Lake Mead, there is often an overreliance on rainfall. Rainfall is always in short supply, in this area due to the fact that it is prone to drought. This dependence on rainfall is, therefore, not logical because it is not known whether it might utterly fail. If the latter happens for an exceedingly long time, then it is highly likely that Lake Mead will dry up.