Receding Lake Mead Reveals 1930s Construction Complex

"Another Southern Nevada relic is emerging as drought lowers the water level at Lake Mead.

Months after foundations of buildings in the old Mormon town of St. Thomas became visible near Overton, the subsiding water has revealed a concrete water tank from the construction of Hoover Dam in Boulder Basin. The circular structure, 15 feet deep and 115 feet across, was built in 1931 to clean Colorado River water used to wash gravel. Seven years later, it disappeared beneath the rising waters when Lake Mead was filled.

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Drought has reversed that process. Since 1998, when the lake was near capacity, the water level has dropped 80 feet, leaving a white mineral ring, prompting modifications at marinas and reducing the amount of lake shoreline from 700 miles to about 500 miles.

The Hoover Dam reservoir is at its lowest level since 1968, at 1,129 feet above sea level on Monday. The lake is still more than half full, with about 4.5 trillion gallons of water. Las Vegas water intakes are at 1,050 feet and 1,000 feet above sea level."

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http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2004/06/11/news/lakemead.html

I took a boat tour of lake mead in February, and we drove right over this tank. It was still about 10 feet underwater, but you could see it. It was very cool.

I won't call it the "Hoover Dam" though. It should have retained its prior name. It's a beautiful landscape.

very serious matter I would say.

There is less surface area at the bottom of the lake than at the top. That means the next 80 feet will drop faster than the previous 80, assuming the same amount of rain falls. And if it drops another 80 feet, LA is in big trouble.