On Tuesday, the water level in Lake Mead -- the largest US reservoir, and fed by the Colorado River -- fell below the elevation of 1,075 feet . Lake Mead and nearby Lake Powell -- the two largest reservoirs on the Colorado River -- have drained at an alarming rate. Lake Mead has fallen more than 139 feet since January of 2000. The Colorado River, which supplies water to more than 40 million people and irrigates millions of acres of farmland, has seen its supply sapped by drought and climate change. If a Tier 1 shortage is declared, Colorado River water deliveries would be reduced for Arizona and Nevada as soon as next year, based on the terms of the 2019 drought contingency plan signed by the lower Colorado River basin states.

Source: CNN May 27, 2021 18:45 UTC