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Lake Mead Faces Record-Low Forecast, Algae Warning, and Summer Closures

Its decline threatens supplies for tens of millions across the Southwest.

Overview

  • The Bureau of Reclamation projects an end-of-November 2027 elevation of 1,032.76 feet, which would fall below the 2022 low for the reservoir.
  • The National Park Service confirmed a harmful algal bloom at Government Wash and warned that children and pets face higher risk if they ingest the water.
  • Park managers will close heat-prone routes from May 15 to October 1, including Goldstrike Canyon, Arizona Hot Springs, White Rock Canyon, Liberty Bell Arch, Lone Palm, and Sugar Loaf.
  • To keep boating access open as levels shift, the park is finishing a ramp extension at Hemenway in April, starting a relocation at Echo Bay by early May, and planning Calville Bay construction for 2027.
  • Hydropower output at Hoover Dam continues to slide as the lake drops and an unusually warm winter reduced inflows from the Colorado River’s headwaters.