Satellite Images Show How Much Lake Mead Has Shrunk in 25 Years
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Satellite images illustrate how water levels in Lake Mead have fallen in the past 25 years.
Why It Matters
Lake Mead supplies vital water to millions in Nevada, Arizona, California, and parts of Mexico. However, declining water levels could jeopardize city water systems, farm irrigation, and hydroelectric power output.
Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the U.S., capable of storing approximately 29 million acre-feet of water. It is closely followed Lake Powell, with a capacity of around 25 million acre-feet.
Recent forecasts lowered runoff into Lake Powell to just 55 percent of average, down from an earlier estimate of 67 percent, due to an underwhelming winter snowpack.
Lake Mead, which receives flows from Lake Powell, hit critically low levels during the summer of 2022, following years of drought.
What To Know
Satellite imagery captured by Landsat 7, a joint mission of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and NASA, show a stark contrast in Lake Mead's water levels between July 1999 and May 2024, with the reservoir appearing noticeably smaller in the latter image.
Landsat 7 image of the Las Vegas area and Lake Mead, acquired on July 4, 1999.
Landsat 7 image of the Las Vegas area and Lake Mead, acquired on July 4, 1999.
USGS
Landsat 7 image of the Las Vegas area and Lake Mead, acquired on May 28, 2024.
Landsat 7 image of the Las Vegas area and Lake Mead, acquired on May 28, 2024.
USGS
Images provided to Newsweek by Maxar Technologies further highlight Lake Mead's current levels compared to historical ones with the "bathtub ring" effect in display.
Recent imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows Lake Mead in 2025, with the "bathtub ring" visible along the coastline.
Recent imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows Lake Mead in 2025, with the "bathtub ring" visible along the coastline.
Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies
Colin Williams, a mineral resources program coordinator with the USGS, told Newsweek previously that this ring around the lake is the result of calcium carbonate found in the Colorado River water. As the lake's water level fluctuates, these minerals cling to the surrounding rocks. When Lake Mead's water level drops, calcium carbonate is left behind on the rocks, forming the visible bathtub ring.
"Lake Mead is full at 1,229 feet above sea level, so the bathtub ring disappears when the lake level is near that point," Williams said at the time.
At the time of writing, Lake Mead's water levels were 1,054.85 feet mean sea level, 174.15 feet below its full pool of 1,229, according to Lakes Online, an online resource for lake and reservoir information.
What People Are Saying
Sharon Megdal, Director of the University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, told Newsweek: "This time period has been dominated by lower annual natural river flows than those of the prior century. In addition, deliveries to water users in the Lower Basin, coupled with 1944 Treaty deliveries to Mexico have exceeded inflows, causing significant decline in the amount of water in storage since 2000.
"Despite many interventions to prop up water levels in the reservoir, "Mother Nature's flows have not been generous," Megdal added.
What Happens Next
A recent study suggested that boosting wastewater recycling to 40 percent in the Colorado River Basin could conserve about 900,000 acre-feet of water annually—enough to supply nearly two million households.
Meanwhile, the states that depend on the Colorado River have been in talks to establish new water-sharing agreements by 2026.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Cameras near Everglades capture unbelievable encounter between bobcat and python: 'That's a win for the home team'
Cameras near Everglades capture unbelievable encounter between bobcat and python: 'That's a win for the home team' Invasive species can wreak havoc on ecosystems, outcompeting native plants and animals for resources and throwing off the food chain. Wildlife cameras near outside the city of Naples, Florida, caught an American bobcat preying on an invasive Burmese python, Good News Network reports, citing earlier reporting from Gulf Coast News. The Burmese python is one of the largest snake species in the world, growing to an average length of six to nine feet. The snakes are tan in coloration with dark splotches and a pyramid-shaped head. They live in and around water and are native to Southeast Asia. Because they are so large, they have few predators, outside of humans, and will eat a variety of prey. The USGS has linked the invasive species to the decline of multiple species in Everglades National Park. According to the USGS, a 2012 study found that populations of raccoons had declined 99.3%, opossums 98.9%, and bobcats 87.5% since 1997. Marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes effectively disappeared over that time." However, the bobcat has not given up the fight for its home territory. "A 25-pound cat killed and cached a 52-pound python? That's a win for the home team," said Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Bartoszek notes that the ecosystem is bouncing back as other predators are beginning to see the snakes as a potential food source. Wildlife conservationists have also stepped in to help balance the ecosystem. "Spy pythons" were implemented in Everglades National Park. These collared males lead scientists to female pythons and their nests since females can lay up to 100 eggs at a time. The hope is to remove both before they can further impact the ecosystem. Allowing invasive species to prosper unchecked can have disastrous long-term effects on biodiversity. There are currently 36 threatened or endangered species within Everglades National Park, so controlling the python is important to their successful preservation. If you're inspired by the bobcat fighting back to take control of its ecosystem, you can look into ways to take local climate action, too. Florida residents can hunt and humanely kill pythons on public land, or they can report any pythons to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Mom Gets All Kids Tested For Daughter's Rare Illness, Worst Fear Comes True
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. When a Long Island toddler was first diagnosed with a rare illness, her family could never have predicted what it would lead to for her older sister. Lisa Superina could tell her daughter Nora was not well from as early as 5 months old. All of her experience as a mother of five told her something wasn't quite right. "She was eating well but often seemed uncomfortable and she wasn't gaining weight," Superina told Newsweek. "She had frequent infections – respiratory and skin. Bad eczema. Her stools were excessive, loose and pale. She seemed very weak with bags under her eyes." Yet despite this, it took time for Superina to get answers. "Nora had genetic testing that all came back negative, so at that point I was told to wait and see what happens," she said. "That was not an option for me... I needed answers. She was my 4th child, so I knew that she wasn't developing typically and something was very wrong." Lisa Superina, her husband and their 5 kids. Lisa Superina, her husband and their 5 kids. Lisa Superina After pushing for more testing, Nora underwent genome sequencing. That was when it was discovered she had Shwachman–Diamond Syndrome (SDS), a rare, inherited bone marrow failure characterized by a low number of white blood cells, poor growth due to difficulty absorbing food, and, in some instances, skeletal abnormalities. Children with SDS can develop blood disorders such as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or leukemia. According to the Boston Children's Hospital, nearly 5 percent of children with SDS develop leukemia, with that risk increasing to 25 percent by adulthood. "This risk goes up with age, so every year gets a little scarier," Superina said. Nora was diagnosed in June 2021, when she was just 15 months old. The rare nature of her illness meant it was not on any doctors' radars when she first began to exhibit symptoms. There would be one more bombshell to come, though. "We were told to test our other children because sometimes SDS is exclusive to the blood and bone marrow and does not have many obvious symptoms," Superina said. A few months later, their worst fears were realized when it was confirmed that Nora's older sister, Kayla, who was just 3 at the time, also had SDS. Though it was a shock to hear, Superina felt some sense of relief that they finally knew about Nora's condition and had uncovered Kayla's before anything bad happened. "I'm so grateful for their diagnosis because it gives us the tools we needed to help them and be proactive," she said. "We know what we are up against." What they are up against is an illness with no known cure, only what Superina describes as "aggressive management." "Nora and Kayla have annual bone marrow biopsies to check for changes or mutations in the marrow that would suggest problems," Superina said. "They get bloodwork every 3 months with hematology at the bone marrow/oncology clinic and see many specialists including hematology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, rheumatology, dermatology, ophthalmology, the list goes on..." It's an experience that has brought the sisters even closer together. "Kayla and Nora have an amazing bond. They support each other for all their appointments... holding hands. Cheering each other on," Superina said. "I definitely think it's made them closer. They don't ever have to go through anything alone- and they always have someone who truly understands." In the meantime, Superina has turned to social media, sharing her daughters' story on Instagram under the handle rarelifemom in the hopes of spreading awareness about SDS and raising essential funds for researching treatments. "I am in touch with top researchers and attended the recent SDS Congress in Cincinnati to learn about the research right now and have been spreading the word for funding a very exciting and promising gene editing project out of Boston Children's with the SDS Registry," she said. "The problem is rare diseases like SDS don't get the funding that more common ones do. So even if we know how to cure it, and have a treatment plan, the money just isn't there. It's often up to the parents and the rare disease community to fund their disease. So that's what I'm trying to do. Raise awareness on social media and who knows, maybe someone with a big heart and a big wallet will see it and want to help my sweet girls."
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
'Disabling' Chronic Illness in Children Not Taken Seriously: Experts
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new study by Rutgers University has highlighted that a significant number of young children are experiencing ongoing symptoms after COVID-19 infection, signifying that greater research needs to be poured into evaluating the risk and treatment of long COVID in children. The study, released on July 23, coincides with Pediatric Long COVID Awareness Week, running from July 21 to 25, run by the advocacy group Long Covid Families. Over the course of the week, the group has been bringing together families, clinicians, researchers, and advocates to raise more awareness on the wide-reaching impact of long COVID in children. "This is a public health crisis for children. And it demands action," Long Covid Families said in its promotion of the condition's awareness week. "Because people operate under the false assumption that if you are young and healthy, like kids, COVID is an inconsequential nothingburger and we should not worry about it," Dr Ziyad Al-Aly, a professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, told Newsweek. "Of course, this is not accurate at all," he added. Long COVID in children "always demanded more attention and seriousness." File photo: a young girl is unwell lying in bed with a teddy bear. File photo: a young girl is unwell lying in bed with a teddy The Study Found The study assessed 1,011 children, of whom 472 were aged 2 or younger, and 539 were aged between 3 and 15. It was found that 101, or 15 percent, of the 677 children who had previously tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection were identified as likely having long COVID. Long COVID is recognized as symptoms and health complications following COVID infection that persist for several weeks or months after the initial infection. It can result in a wide range of symptoms, affecting multiple systems in the body. Co-author of the study, Lawrence Kleinman, who is also chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers University, told Newsweek that he was not "surprised by these findings and would not be surprised to learn in the future that they understate the prevalence of long COVID." Previous studies estimated the prevalence of long COVID in children to be between 10 and 20 percent—suggesting it has become one of the most common chronic illnesses in children. Asthma, often described as the most common chronic illness in children, affects 16 percent. "Our methods were designed to be conservative, that is to maximize the likelihood that we distinguished long COVID from other causes," Kleinman said. "That means that our estimates are likely to be lower than the actual rate of long COVID." "At the beginning of the pandemic, no one knew that long COVID existed," he added. The first reports from China included" inaccurate reports" that children were spared COVID, he said, adding that the reports "grew into a myth which in turn created a mindset that COVID in kids didn't matter." As a result, there "was a misconception that children could not get COVID - but we know that's not true," Melissa Stockwell, another author of the study and chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Health at Columbia University, told Newsweek. "We are still very behind in raising awareness about long COVID in children," she added. Another reason why long COVID was not taken seriously in children is that "the symptoms associated with long COVID in children were not properly defined," Dr. Akiko Iwasaki, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at the Yale School of Medicine, told Newsweek. She added that the study underscored "the need for the society to take long COVID in children seriously." However, Dr. Gerald Teague, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, told Newsweek that the study's investigators "did not confirm COVID infection with diagnostic tests nor did they measure antibodies to COVID in the participants," which would have provided a more accurate screening of the condition. He also noted that children not flagged as having COVID in the study may have had "asymptomatic infection." Although, despite some concerns, he said, with the study, that it was a "proof of concept that long COVID may be a bigger problem than we thought." The Impact Of Long COVID On Children "There is great concern for the younger generation, both about the long-term impacts of the pandemic itself, but also for those with Long Covid," Stockwell said. Long COVID in children can manifest in a number of different symptoms, ranging from "annoying to disabling," Kleinman said. The chronic illness can cause "pain, distress, or disability" in children, directly impacting the child's interaction with their family and friends, and may "hurt school performance, athletic performance, or even the capacity of children to conduct normally routine activities," he added. These factors are of great concern, Al-Aly said, as "we worry about kids' educational attainment, forming friendships, sports, and others, and all of these facets of normal development could be impaired in long COVID." "This may negatively affect kids in their most formative years—leaving them scarred for a lifetime," he added. Long COVID can leave some children bedbound for years, Iwasaki said. "If you have ever spoken to a parent of a child with long COVID, you quickly learn how devastating it can be to the lives of the children and their family," she added. What Experts Think Should Be Done One key part of tackling the issue is down to "improving vaccine uptake," Al-Aly said. However, the Trump administration has recently removed COVID vaccines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women, as part of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) campaign. Kennedy Jr, a well-known vaccine sceptic, said, when announcing the update on X: "It's common sense and it's good science." Another important step is increasing understanding, Stockwell said. "We really need pediatricians to understand what long COVID looks like in children and understand that symptoms are actually different in different-aged children as well," she added. Treatments are the next vital step, Kleinman said. "We need to develop and identify effective treatments for long COVID in a rapidly iterative and long-term approach to quickly identify promising treatments and to evaluate their effectiveness and safety in practice." That treatment, though, needs to "get at the root causes of the disease," Iwasaki said. She added that long COVID is a disease "driven by the virus and the host responses to the virus involving the immune, neurological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems." From a policy perspective, "flexible attendance at school, proper training of teachers and pediatricians, insurance coverage and more funding for research" would all help tackle the issue, Iwasaki added. More broadly, supporting children with long COVID and preventing further cases will require "investment in health and health care services, physical and occupational rehabilitation, and mental health services," Kleinman added, saying this "will be critical for the population health of our children for the foreseeable future."
