Lake Mead Falls To Lowest Level Since Hoover Dam's Construction

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NEVADA - JUNE 15: A view shows Lake Mead behind the Hoover Dam from the Nevada side of the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge on June 15, 2021 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. Last week, The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reported that Lake Mead, North America's largest artificial reservoir, dropped to 1,071.53 feet above sea level, the lowest it's been since being filled in 1937 after the construction of the Hoover Dam. The declining water levels are a result of a nearly continuous drought for the past two decades coupled with increased water demands in the Southwestern United States. The drought has left a white "bathtub ring" of mineral deposits left by higher water levels on the rocks around the lake. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)