Lake Mead could be set for lower water levels this year compared to last as the Rockies are seeing closer-to-average snowpack
Most regions in the Colorado Rocky Mountains basin are between 90 to 109 percent snow-water equivalent. The Lower San Juan, Lower Green and White-Yampa basins are slightly higher, at between 110 to 129 percent.
The entire upper Colorado River basin’s snowpack lies at around 103 percent of the historical average over 30 years.
The snowpack levels are not nearly what they were last year. After intense storms throughout the winter of 2023, snowpack accumulated to record levels in the West. The levels reached the around 130 percent of the 30-year historical average.
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This year has seen some wet weather too, however not nearly to the same degree as last year.
In 2023, Lake Mead’s water levels rose due to the increase in snowpack, which brought a sigh of relief for many, as in recent years the reservoir has seen record low levels.
As the weather warmed in spring 2023, the snowmelt fed into the Nevada-Arizona reservoir causing a steep rise in its water levels.
Beginning 2023 at 1,044 feet, by the end of the summer, it stood at 1,065 feet—this is a noticeable improvement. In July 2022, the reservoir had reached its lowest level ever recorded at 1,040 feet.
As of today, March 14, its water levels stand at 1,075.99.
However with the snowpack less high this time around, it remains to be seen whether the lake will rise, or fall.
Lake Mead provides water for around 25 million people living in the Colorado River basin. It also produces hydro power through the Hoover Dam, making it even more integral to daily life in the region.
Despite its good year in 2023, the Bureau of Reclamations still predicts that it could dip back to the historic lows.
Although it brought much needed water to the region, 2023 did have its challenges. Before this, the West was suffering from prolonged drought conditions. The deluge of rain and snow throughout the following winter meant the region went from one extreme to the other, meaning there was serious flooding and disruption.
Paul Miller, a hydrologist at the National Weather Service’s Colorado Basin River Forecast Center in Salt Lake City, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that it is a positive that conditions haven’t gone “from one extreme to the other so much this year.”
“We’ve gone from a very wet extreme, closer to a normal balance,” Miller told the news outlet.
The National Weather Service recently shared satellite photos of last year’s snowpack and said those levels are “hard to live up to.”
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