Before it hits a glass, water taken directly from Lake Mead, the Colorado River or the underground water table must run through two Southern Nevada Water Authority facilities.

Source: https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/going-outside-how-to-prevent-heat-stroke-during-dog-days-of-summer-2875433/

Ditto, the reasons why the largest water reservoir in the U.S. — Lake Mead — is less than and why that might have important implications for us, here in Pagosa Springs.

Source: https://pagosadailypost.com/2023/05/29/editorial-schools-of-choice-and-the-cost-thereof-part-three/

If Lake Mead were to hit “dead pool” levels, that would cut off the flow to California, Nevada and Mexico, including the only supply of water for nine cities and about 500,000 acres of farmland in the Imperial Valley.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-01-27/colorado-river-in-crisis-agriculture-under-pressure

Lake Mead, the Colorado River’s largest reservoir, and the biggest human-made lake in the country, is a short drive from the valley’s casino resorts.

Source: https://www.kunc.org/thirstgap/2023-05-08/a-crackdown-in-sin-city

Lake Powell and Lake Mead, when full, can hold enough water to last the region for multiple dry years.

Source: https://time.com/6308005/california-drought-hilary-storm/

LAS VEGAS — Hefty snowfalls that fed the Colorado River in recent weeks may slow the water level decline of Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border, according to some experts.

Source: https://gazette.com/colorado_politics/new-mexico-considers-making-roasted-chile-its-official-state-aroma-out-west-roundup/article_4e276515-de0f-5e87-92cd-9a0862504994.html

Southern Nevada gets 90 per cent of its water from Lake Mead and these new laws are an acknowledgment that our current levels of consumption cannot continue.

Source: https://theava.com/archives/212064

Those efforts bore fruit last week when the Gila River Indian Community announced a landmark conservation deal with the federal government, agreeing to leave a huge chunk of its water in Lake Mead for three years.

Source: https://grist.org/indigenous/colorado-river-arizona-tribes-wategila-river-conservation-deal-biden/

Water managers in other major cities like Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas and Albuquerque also keep a close eye on that faraway snow and the impact it has on the nation’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Source: https://www.aspendailynews.com/news/another-good-winter-of-snow-could-help-recharge-the-colorado-river/article_fb1df3b8-9703-11ee-b792-73ffddd1b23f.html