Newly exposed shorelines at Lake Mead causing problems
Lake Mead National Recreation area officials warned visitors that the newly exposed shoreline at Lake Mead caused by declining water levels can result in people getting stuck.
Officials said in a tweet Wednesday that the shoreline is “dense and difficult to navigate” and that visitors struggling to maneuver on the shoreline should go to higher ground, if possible.
📢 Newly exposed shoreline is dense and difficult to navigate. As a result, vehicles, vessels and people can get stuck.
❗ If you're struggling to maneuver your car, boat or yourself along the beach, immediately head to higher ground if possible. No boat or car is worth a life. pic.twitter.com/VcR0sOGOQ6
— Lake Mead (@lakemeadnps) May 24, 2022
Water levels at Lake Mead are expected to drop more than 30 feet in the next two years, according to an April projection from the Bureau of Reclamation. The levels at the lake have been declining for years, according to data from the bureau. In December, water agencies in Nevada, Arizona and California joined the bureau in signing a plan that would work to increase the lake’s elevation by 16 feet over the next two years.
To keep the lake from hitting a critical water level, states in the lower Colorado River basin are developing a $100 million plan to keep more water in Lake Mead over the next couple of years.
Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tmflane on Twitter.