Drought Drops Lake Mead Water Level To 40 Year Lows

LAKE MEAD NRA, NV - JULY 24: A launch ramp for boats at Government Wash leads to desert vegetation and rocks instead of water July 24, 2007 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. A seven-year drought and increased water demand spurred by explosive population growth in the Southwest has caused the water level at Lake Mead, which supplies water to Las Vegas, Arizona and Southern California, to drop over 100 feet to its lowest level since the 1960s. The National Park Service has been forced to close or extend boat launch ramps, and move entire marinas to try to keep up with the receding water levels. Because the water at the lake, the largest man-made reservoir in North America, isn't being replenished as fast as it's being used, water managers are now working to come up with plans to combat the effects of continued population growth, drought and a dwindling supply of water from the Colorado River due to climate change. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)