By Caitlin McGlade | The Republic | azcentral.com
Lake Mead sunk to a record low Tuesday night by falling below the point that would trigger a water-supply shortage if the reservoir doesn’t recover by January.
Water managers expect the lake’s elevation level to rebound enough to ward off a 2016 shortage thanks to a wetter-than-expected spring. But in the long run, as a Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman said, “we still need a lot more water.”
The reservoir stores water for parts of Arizona, other Western states and Mexico, all of which have endured a 15-year drought with no end in sight.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would announce a 2016 shortage this August if it projects that Lake Mead won’t rise above 1,075 feet by January. Assessments are updated in the middle of every month. This month’s report forecasts an improved outlook.
