A bill would create a new program to use satellite imagery to estimate how much water is lost to evapotranspiration from crops.
Lake Mead
The remains of a man who likely drowned nearly 40 years ago at Lake Mead National Recreation Area were found in October.
“Disastrous conditions have reshaped Lake Mead National Recreation Area’s one and a half million acres of incredible landscapes and slowly depleted the largest reservoir in the United States,” the senators wrote in a letter to the National Park Service.
The Southern Nevada Water Authority is evaluating whether changes need to be made to its lowest intake straw in order to protect water quality as Lake Mead continues to shrink.
Take a deep dive into Lake Mead’s colorful history.
Southern Nevada Water Authority would have the authority to impose water use restrictions on the biggest users under a bill heard by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.
A National Park Service spokesman says it is not possible to say why visitors to Lake Mead National Recreation Area dropped off without further research.
Two competing proposals to achieve federally mandated cuts to Colorado River water use are on the table, but agreement between states has remained elusive.
While states continue to negotiate over how to cut back on Colorado River water use, the Southern Nevada Water Authority is preparing for a “worst-case scenario.”
