Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Environmental Factors (U.S. National Park Service)

Low Water

Low water at Lake Mead

Most visitors are attracted to Lake Mead National Recreation Area because of Lakes Mead and Mohave. However, these are not natural lakes. They are reservoirs created by Hoover and Davis Dams. About 96 percent of the water in Lake Mead is from melted snow that fell in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.

If there are several consecutive years where outflow exceeds inflow, Lake Mead water levels will lower. The water level will continue to drop until a "wet year" occurs in the Colorado River System.
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Invasive Species

The National Parks including Lake Mead National Recreation Area are home to complex native communities of plants and animals that have developed over millions of years. This natural heritage is threatened by the invasion of exotic plants and animals.
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Green Algae

Occasionally a bloom of Green Algae growth appears at some shoreline areas in Lake Mead. It takes several factors for algae to bloom such as abnormal weather conditions, (cold, then warm, then mild alternating over a several day period).
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“Swimmer’s Itch”

“Swimmer’s Itch” is the name given to a condition caused by flatworm larva. The naturally occurring parasite needs ducks, snails and warm shallow waters to flourish. It is common in lakes in 30 states. While not a persistent, widespread problem, the “Swimmer’s Itch” parasite is believed to be present in Lakes Mead and Mohave.
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