Map Shows Cities That Have No Water Backup If Lake Powell, Mead Fails
Communities reliant on Lake Powell and Lake Mead face growing water risks, with smaller cities particularly at risk.
Smaller towns that heavily depend on a single water source, such as Page and LeChee in Arizona, are more vulnerable to water shortages in the event of a Lake Powell or Mead failure. These communities lack the backup infrastructure that larger cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles have built over time. According to Kathryn Sorensen, a Colorado River expert, the smaller customer base of these smaller communities makes it more cost-prohibitive to develop alternative water supplies.
Page, with a population of around 7,500, relies solely on Lake Powell for its water, and officials have previously cautioned that a significant drop in the reservoir's level could lead to a loss of municipal water. LeChee, a Navajo Nation community near Page, is also heavily reliant on Lake Powell. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation recently completed a project to allow the city and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation to draw water at lower elevations, down to 3,362 feet, ensuring a continued water supply during extreme drought conditions.
However, LeChee remains heavily dependent on the reservoir. Boulder City in Nevada, originally built to house construction workers for Hoover Dam, also has limited backup water infrastructure. The city primarily draws its water from Lake Mead and is the only Southern Nevada user that does not return treated water back into the reservoir, making it more susceptible to water shortages.
Henderson, another community in Southern Nevada, is part of the Las Vegas Valley water system and remains closely tied to Lake Mead's health. North Las Vegas and other cities in the region also rely on Lake Mead as a significant source of water. Phoenix, known as a city at risk from Colorado River shortages, has access to water from alternative sources such as the Salt and Verde rivers, Central Arizona Project, groundwater reserves, and recycled-water programs.
San Diego has also diversified its water portfolio through various methods, but concerns remain about the long-term sustainability of these measures.
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