Lake Mead water levels are 16 feet higher than they were when the reservoir struggled with extremely low levels in fall 2022, but compared to the reservoir’s high point in 1983, it still has a long way to go to recovery.

After years of drought, Lake Mead, located in Nevada and Arizona, plunged to extremely low levels in the summer of 2022. Above-average precipitation and snowmelt that winter helped remedy these levels, which continued to improve throughout 2023. Now, about two years later, Lake Mead appears to be in a better position for the new water year, which began on the 1st october.

As of Tuesday, the water level in Lake Mead was 1,061 feet. Although the lake is in better condition than two years ago, it is still at its second lowest point in the last five years, with water levels higher than in 2022. The lake is approximately 4 feet lower than at that time. in 2023 and more than 20 feet lower than this time in 2019.

Lake water levels fell slightly in late October, but have remained largely stable since June.

Lake Mead began to fill in 1935, after the construction of Hoover Dam. The pool is full when the lake level reaches 1,229 feet. The lake reached its highest point, at 1,225.44 feet, in July 1983, less than 4 feet below its full capacity.

After experiencing fluctuations over the 41 years since 1983, Lake Mead’s water levels have dropped 164 feet below this point.

The greatest changes in lake water levels are caused by Water from Lake Powell flows upstream. Lake Powell is greatly affected by annual weather conditions, Colby Pellegrino, deputy general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, said previously. Information week, which in turn affects Lake Mead.

News week contacted the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages Lake Mead and Lake Powell, by email for comment.

Pellegrino said she expects the upcoming water year to be a “pretty good year” for Lake Mead. However, some experts doubt the lake can ever fully recover, unless agricultural fields in the Colorado River basin are fallowed and more severe water reductions are imposed on the seven states that source their water. in water from the Colorado River, which flows through Lake Mead.

Despite its improvement from 2022 levels, evidence of falling Lake Mead levels is evidenced by the thick “bathtub ring” of calcium carbonate which whitens the lake rocks, previously submerged when the lake was full.

Based on past data, Lake Mead water levels generally begin to improve early in the water year. Last January, the water levels of the lake improved at a rate not seen since 2019, but the lake still has a long way to go before it fully recovers.