Update On Lake Mead -- August 18, 2019

Lake Mead, link here.

Lake Mead's level is higher than what it was at this time in both 2017 and 2018.

From azcentral:

Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will be required to take less water from the Colorado River for the first time next year under a set of agreements that aim to keep enough water in Lake Mead to reduce the risk of a crash.

The federal Bureau of Reclamation activated the mandatory reductions in water deliveries on Thursday when it released projections showing that as of Jan. 1, the level of Lake Mead will sit just below a threshold that triggers the cuts.

The Colorado River’s reservoirs have dropped dramatically since 2000 during one of the most extreme droughts in centuries. Farms and cities across the Southwest have long been taking more from the river than what flows into it, and climate change is adding to the strains by pushing up temperatures.

Reservoirs were approaching levels last year that would have triggered a shortage and required deeper cuts, but heavy snow across much of the Rocky Mountains this winter boosted runoff and raised reservoir levels.

The river’s reservoirs are now at 55% of total capacity, up from 49% at the same time last year.

" ... and climate change is adding to the strains by pushing up temperatures." Oh, give me a break.