Lake Mead reaches lowest levels amid severe drought in the western US

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Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. created by the Hoover Dam in Nevada, has sunk to its lowest levels ever, as extreme heat and drought scorch the western U.S.

Located 30 miles (50 km) east of Las Vegas, Lake Mead is crucial for millions of people in the western part of the country. It supplies water for 25 million people including in cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, Tucson, Phoenix and Las Vegas, while the Hoover Dam generates hydroelectric power for 1.3 million people in Nevada, Arizona, and California.

Currently, the lake is 16 feet below where it was this time last year, with the reservoir only 37% full.

Researchers are already warning that the dwindling water supply in Lake Mead will affect millions in the west, with some people being forced to make painful water cuts.

Scientists are also projecting that Colorado River, which feeds into Lake Mead, could declare its first water-shortage later this year.

Reuters reports that the lake’s water level has dropped more than 140 feet since 2000, losing over 5.5 trillion gallons of water in that time. The lake’s surface has recently fallen below 1,070 feet above sea level since it was filled in the 1930's according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The drought has gripped much of the West, including the Pacific Northwest down to the southwestern states of Arizona and New Mexico.

Farmers have been forced to abandon crops, Nevada’s new law bans about 40% of "useless grass"in Las Vegas ineffort to conserve water, and the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox, asked people to pray for rain.

Temperatures set new records for the region last week with some hitting as high as 118 degrees (48 Celsius).

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have recorded the past 22 years of the driest period in its 115 years of record-keeping.

The drought has also contributed to wildfire crisis.

Officials are expecting an increase in fire activity and more demand for firefighters and equipment have raised preparedness on a scale of 1 to 5 to level 4. So far, more than 8,700 wildland firefighters are battling 47 large wildfires that have consumed over 800 square miles, according to officials.

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