Prolonged drought continues to take its toll on Lake Mead, the reservoir for the Southwest.
The manmade lake behind Hoover Dam quenches the thirst of about 25 million people, including the 2.25 million who live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.
Federal officials are expected to declare an official Lake Mead shortage. That would mean a smaller water allotment from the lake for Nevada, but that amount would still be above what the state currently draws.
The lake’s level has fallen 140 feet during the West’s two-decades-long drought, which is thought to be the region’s worst droughts in 1,200 years.
Kyle Roerink, executive director, Great Basin Water Network; Colby Pellegrino, deputy general Manager, Southern Nevada Water Authority; Kristen Averyt, research professor, UNLV; Luke Runyon, reporter, KUNC