Lake Mead hits historic low water level as Colorado River struggles

The nation’s largest reservoir has fallen to a record low as worsening conditions strain the Colorado River system. Water levels at Lake Mead hit 1,040.4 feet (317.1 meters) above sea level on Friday, according to federal data. The record follows a winter that produced the worst snowpack on record in the Colorado River Basin. Years of overuse combined with drought and rising temperatures have been depleting Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir. Together, the two bodies of Colorado River water are the lowest they’ve been in nearly seven decades.