BOULDER CITY, NEVADA – Lake Mead, one of the National Park Service’s most visited vacation spots, rests in the shadow of the topics.
But there’s a problem: The lake is getting real low.
As of June, Lake Mead’s depth is the lowest it’s been since 1937.
People who live in the area are not the only ones affected; businesses and tourists are as well.
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Krystal Stockwell and her family have owned Las Vegas Boat Harbor and Lake Mead Marina since 1957.
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In 1998, the lake was about 1,216 feet deep. That’s compared to today’s depth of nearly 1,069 feet.
“We’d like to see it entirely full. The last time the reservoir was entirely full was in the late 1990s, around 1998,” said Doug Hendrix, the public affairs specialist for the Lower Colorado Basin for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The Hoover Dam is one of the National Park Service’s most popular tourist attractions. The federal government is expected to declare a water shortage. (Ashley Soriano/Fox News)
Boaters and families at the lake are already feeling the impact, as the National Park Service has closed some boat launch ramps.
“This is a different landscape every time they come out now because the lake has not been this low ever in their lifetime,” said Chelsea Kennedy, the acting public affairs officer for Lake Mead National Area, which is part of the National Park Service.
Experts blame drywild-nature” target=”_blank”> weather patterns<will likely declare a water shortage around mid-August.
That means less water available to parts of us-regions, us-regions, us-regionsand even northern Mexico.
As for Las Vegas Boat Harbor, the owner says business is good because people are eager to get back to their annual summer trips.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service says they are seeing a higher number of visitors despite the low water levels – more than 8 million people last year.
