Lopez Lake closed the boat launch on Monday, due to record low water levels. Boats are no longer able to launch without hitting the bottom of the lake.
Years of drought ravaging the state of California have led to this.
Nearly undetectable from day to day, over the years this slow regression has been culminating in an official closure of the Lopez Lake boat launch.
The water level in Lake Powell was at a record low when rain and snow began to fall across the Colorado River Basin in October, soaking dry soils ahead of the winter season.
Water managers, who hoped the trend would build into an above-average snow year that might delay a looming water crisis in the Southwest, watched the snowpack drop to near zero in November. Then, after a massive storm cycle brought six feet of snow to parts of the Rockies around the New Year, they again breathed a sigh of relief.
Las Vegas visitors can still snap selfies with the mermaids swimming among tropical fish in the Silverton Casino’s massive aquarium and gaze at the colorful dancing water displays of the iconic Bellagio fountains — for now.
But southern Nevada and much of the American West are struggling to cope with a worsening drought that has strained municipal water supplies, agricultural operations and wildlife populations.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
