Lowest water elevations of Lake Mead in the United States 1970-2023, by month

Severe drought across the Western United States has caused water levels at Lake Mead in Nevada to drop in recent decades. Since 1970, the lowest end of month water level of Lake Mead at Hoover Dam was recorded in July 2022, at 1,040 feet above sea level. This was also the lowest level since the 1930s when the lake was formed by the Hoover Dam. Seven of the 10 lowest water levels recorded since 1970 were in 2022, while three were recorded in 2023. Lake Mead is considered at full capacity when water levels reach 1,220 feet above sea level, but it’s able to hold a maximum of 1,229 feet of water. The last time the lake approached this capacity was in the summer of 1983.

Lake Mead, the largest artificial reservoir by volume in the United States, generates electricity and supplies drinking water to California, Arizona, Nevada, and parts of Mexico.