Lake Mead, Las Vegas water levels for boaters.

© Provided by KSNV – Las Vegas
It’s the biggest weekend of the year for Lake Mead.

As many as 100,000 people are expected over the three-day Memorial Day holiday.

But boaters will see some changes: The water level is down, and more hazards are being uncovered.

Something Don Mason noticed as he fed the fish at Las Vegas Boat Harbor with his 2-year-old granddaughter.

“I think it's terrible,” says Mason. “I remember when [the water] was going over the dam.”

And one important closure: the Hemenway Harbor boat launch.

“The water is too low and we need to get our pipe mat repositioned,” says Deputy Chief Ranger Matt Stark. “Right now you can launch at Boat Harbor and Callville Bay on this side of the lake.”

Stark says while excessive heat and dehydration are common problems for visitors, the biggest mistake he sees is boaters not paying attention to the weather forecast.

“You won't expect the winds unless you have spent some time out here,” he explains. “And the winds are deadly. You can get 3- to 4-foot waves on this lake.”

Chad Taylor with Lake Mead Mohave Adventures has spent 25 years on the lake. He says it’s important to watch the color of the water.

“The dark bluish-green is more safe,” says Taylor. “You start to see it lighten up a little bit; there might be more potential for lower waters and risk of land.”

And as the water level falls, he looks for something positive: the fact that more sandy beaches are being created.

More places to explore this Memorial Day.

“Come early, because if we did hit capacities at the park, the National Park Service may close down some of the gates,” says Taylor. “So we got to be prepared.”

The Lake Mead water level is nearing a record low at 1,075 feet.

High water was hit back in 1983 when the lake rose to 1,229 feet.

This year marks the 22nd year of drought.

 

Yeah, California has the whole Pacific Ocean to use with desalination plants.

 

1. Singapore opens its fourth desalination plant - YouTube
   
   Feb 04, 2021 · Singapore has opened its fourth desalination plant.

 

The tunnel was completed 3 or 4 years ago.
Lake Mead Tunnel Project: water to Las Vegas - We Build Value
https://www.webuildvalue.com/en/stories-behind...
Oct 01, 2015 · The Italian civic engineering group overcame serious geological challenges to drill a four-kilometre-long tunnel under Lake Mead to reach a pipe in the middle of the body of water.