Lake Mead Falls To Just 27% Capacity

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NEVADA - JULY 28: Boulder Beach, Pyramid Island, Saddle Island and a water clarifier tank that was used at an aggregate plant during construction of the Hoover Dam that is well above the water in Hemenway Harbor stand by the lake on July 28, 2022 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada.The tank was submerged after completion of the dam in the 1930s, and became visible again due to lowering water levels in 2004. Last week, Lake Mead dropped to just 27 percent of its capacity, with the water level at its lowest since being filled in 1937 after the construction of the Hoover Dam, as a result of a climate change-fueled megadrought 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. (Footage by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)