Lake Mead didn’t actually drop 8 feet after the earthquake

Lake Mead National Recreation Area officials say claims of an 8-foot water level drop are inaccurate.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that the lake had plummeted eight feet after Southern Nevada experienced a 4.8 magnitude earthquake Friday.

One headline written by zerohedge.com read, “Lake Mead Water Level Mysteriously Plunges After Nevada Quake.”

Panic ensued.

Referencing an unofficial lake data site, water watchers took to social media to say the elevation dropped 1.65 feet Friday, then an astonishing 6.38 feet Saturday.

Officials from the lake say it just isn’t true, tweeting “Lake Mead’s elevation has NOT dropped to 1,068 feet. Some inaccurate data was posted online. We are at 1,077 feet,” Sunday afternoon, with a link to the official government measurements.

The site, belonging to the Bureau of Reclamation, shows the water level stayed about 1,077 feet, fluctuating from 1,076.70 feet Friday to 1,077.56 feet Monday morning. That’s less than one foot of change since the earthquake.

Contact Kimberly De La Cruz at kdelacruz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @KimberlyinLV