Lake Mead

As of May 2009, the lake is currently at 43 percent of its capacity, threatening to make the Las Vegas valley's primary raw water intake inoperable. If the lake doesn't receive enough inflow this spring, problems may arise later this summer. Arrangements are underway to pipe water from elsewhere in Nevada by 2011, but since the primary raw water intake at Lake Mead could become inoperable as soon as 2010 based on current drought and user projections, Las Vegas could suffer crippling water shortages in the interim. Lake Mead draws a majority of its water from snow melt in the Western Colorado Rockies. Since 2000 the water level has been dropping at a fairly steady rate due to less than average snowfall. As a result, marinas and boat launch ramps have either needed to be moved to another part of the lake or have closed down completely.

Further research in February 2008 by the University of California in San Diego led researchers to conclude that, if future climate changes as projected and water use "is not curtailed," Lake Mead's water level could drop below the dead storage elevation by 2021, and that the reservoir could drop below minimum power pool elevation as early as 2017.

I love this camera. Pictures were taken a good distance away using 12x zoom. Wondering why paparazzi have to get that close!