Lake Mead

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Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Time lapse satellite photos of Lake Mead spanning thirty-eight years.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

Hoover Dam and (background) Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona border.

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead on the Colorado River, Arizona-Nevada, U.S. A bypass bridge (foreground; shown under construction) opened in 2010 to carry a federal highway across the Black Canyon just downstream of the dam.

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Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

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9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes

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What State Is Washington, D.C. In?

The United States Supreme Court building, Washington, D.C.

14 Questions About Government in the United States Answered

Discover

An ancient egyptian hieroglyphic painted carving showing the falcon headed god Horus seated on a throne and holding a golden fly whisk. Before him are the Pharoah Seti and the goddess Isis. Interior wall of the temple to Osiris at Abydos, Egypt.

11 Egyptian Gods and Goddesses

Nelson Mandela, undated photo.

15 Nelson Mandela Quotes

Paul Revere. "The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.," engraved by Paul Revere. Boston Massacre.

There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Riots in U.S. History (Part One)

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Facts and Figures About the Landings on Omaha Beach During the Normandy Invasion on June 6, 1944

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10 Great Sports Rivalries

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

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Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?

Lake Mead: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 15, 2025

News •

Lake Mead Warning Issued to Parents and Pet Owners • June 13, 2025, 6:32 AM ET (Newsweek)

People in Lake Mead Warned of Extreme Heat Wave, 115 Degrees Forecast • June 9, 2025, 4:04 AM ET (Newsweek)

The Colorado River Basin has lost as much groundwater as the entire volume of Lake Mead • May 31, 2025, 4:16 AM ET (CNN)

Lake Mead Warning Issued As People Told To Stay out of Sun • May 28, 2025, 8:54 AM ET (Newsweek)

Lake Mead Warning Issued Over 'Hazardous Conditions' • May 23, 2025, 11:08 PM ET (Newsweek)

Photos

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

Hoover Dam and (background) Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona border.

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead on the Colorado River, Arizona-Nevada, U.S. A bypass bridge (foreground; shown under construction) opened in 2010 to carry a federal highway across the Black Canyon just downstream of the dam.

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Topics

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Quiz

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Water and its Varying Forms

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United States of America Quiz

List

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up