Water levels at Lake Mead have fallen to a historic low, dipping to 1,040.5 feet—the lowest level recorded since the reservoir was created in the 1930s following the construction of the Hoover Dam.

According to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the new low surpasses the previous record set in July 2022. Water managers and climate experts attribute the continuous decline to a combination of persistent 25-year megadrought, poor winter snowpack runoff, and increasing regional demand.

Lake Mead and nearby Lake Powell serve as the primary savings account for the Colorado River system, which supplies drinking water and electricity to over 40 million people and irrigates millions of acres of farmland across the American Southwest. With the reservoir currently holding less than 30 percent of its total capacity, federal officials are expected to release updated operating guidelines in the coming days that could mandate further water allocation cuts for lower basin states.