The water that is held in Lake Mead eventually spills over the Hoover Dam and sustains life in western states such as Nevada and California. In fact, if you use a water fountain in Disneyland in Anaheim, California, or watch a show at Sea World in San Diego, the water all comes from Lake Mead, which is about 300 miles away. The maximum high water line for the lake is 1,229 feet above sea level, which is 7½ feet over the raised spillway gates. The temperature of the water varies with the season, but ranges between 45 and 85 degrees.
The lake is a major tourist attraction because it offers a wide variety of activities. Hikers, cross country bikers and horseback riders all enjoy the many trails the park has to offer. Water sports such as swimming, water skiing, scuba diving, boating and fishing are all popular as well. Campers and wildlife photographers can enjoy the flora and fauna, as well as beautiful scenery and the peace and quiet of a serene environment. Sunbathers often come to Lake Mead to experience the 110-degree temperatures that this desert environment can produce.
The lake is named for Elwood Mead, who was the commissioner of the United States Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936. In 1936, Mead oversaw the planning and construction of the Boulder Dam Project, which built what we now know as the Hoover Dam across the Colorado River. This project blocked and tamed the river, which in turn flooded a part of the Mojave Desert, creating Lake Mead. The Bureau of Reclamation still maintains the lake, the dam and the power plant today.
Something that not many people know is that there is something special lying on the floor of the lake. In July 1948, while flying a classified mission, a four-engine, propeller-driven, B-29 SuperFortress heavy bomber crashed into the lake. The secret mission was to study solar variation, which measures the radiation cycle the sun goes through every 11 years. The plane’s five-man crew was rescued, but the plane--still intact except for three of the four engines--sank in more than 250 feet of water. It remained unseen for 50 years until a dive team located it using side-scan sonar. It is too deep for normal diving and the rough terrain precludes any type of salvage operation.
Lake Mead as of October of 2008 was down to 47-percent capacity. The lake normally draws most of its water from the snowmelt in the Western Colorado Rocky Mountains. Since 2000, however, there has been less than average snowfall, which means that unless an additional water source is found, the Las Vegas area could have a water shortage problem. There is a plan to pipe water in from Nevada, but that is not scheduled for completion until 2011. Because of the drought and depleted water supply, Lake Mead has either moved or closed down boat launch ramps. Further water loss could put the reservoir’s water level below minimum power pool elevation, affecting the Hoover Dam and all of the hydroelectric power it produces.
