James, I. (2021, June 11). Hoover dam, symbol of the modern WEST, faces a new test with an epic water shortage. Epic drought tests Hoover Dam as water levels in Lake Mead plummet. https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/05/27/hoover-dam-drought-water-levels-lake-mead/5134031001/. 

Years of extreme drought and increasing temperatures caused by climate change are creating visible effects along Lake Mead’s shorelines. The water level in the reservoir has dropped about 140 feet since 2000, revealing a ring of minerals. This decline in water levels threatens the water supply to cities and farmlands. Mike Bernardo, along with a team of engineers and hydrologists plan water releases from various dams such as the Hoover Dam as well as Davis and Parker dams. This water flow will travel through pipelines to Phoenix, LA and farmlands that are deprived of water so that they are able to produce crops such as hay, cotton, grapes and lettuce. Bernardo and his team also set power generation goals which reveal declining numbers. According to Bernardo, the past 12 months across the Colorado River Basin have the driest on record. 

 

Lake Mead’s declining water levels are one of many examples of how global warming and climate change has affected the sources we need to survive. As temperatures rise, the ground becomes overheated, melting snow and evaporating it almost instantly. In my opinion, Arizona, Nevada and California need to limit water use and make stronger efforts to reverse the effects of the drought. This includes cutbacks of water use to protect the declining levels of Lake Mead. We need to educate ourselves and use the information we obtain to better plan for the future. Though the effects of the drought are the main cause of the dangerously low levels of water, ultimately, making stronger efforts to reduce the effects of climate change would better help save our water sources.