Depending on where you live in Nevada, you could be living in anything from a hot desert climate to a cool mountain forest climate. However, no matter which part of the state you call home, it’s impossible to have missed the persistent drought conditions we’ve experienced in recent years. That’s an issue for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact that southern Nevada is mostly a desert. That means we weren’t blessed with an abundance of water here to begin with. Unfortunately, the dwindling water supply raises a critical question for residents of the state. It’s a question of whether Nevada may run out of water in the future. Here’s everything you need to know about the subject and what it means for you as a Nevada homeowner.
Where Does Nevada’s Water Come From?
In the northwestern part of the state, such as Reno, the majority of the drinkable water supply comes from the Truckee River. The water in the river comes primarily from snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. In the south, like in Las Vegas, the majority of the water comes from Lake Mead. Overall, those two sources represent approximately 70% of all of the drinkable water available in the state.
Fortunately, the Truckee River, while experiencing diminished water flows in recent years, is still rebounding to roughly 80% of its average water flows these days. However, the rebound is a result of some unusually wet weather that deposited near-record snowfall in the mountains this winter. The trouble is that there’s no telling how often we can count on a repeat of such weather. That means the Truckee River may revert to a drought condition again as the summer heat rolls in.
Lake Mead, on the other hand, is a man-made reservoir that straddles Nevada and Arizona and is fed by the Hoover Dam, which holds back the waters of the Colorado River. That river has also suffered from declining water flows, which dropped Lake Mead to its lowest water levels since 1937 when engineers first began filling it. It, too, has benefitted from recent wet weather, which began refilling the reservoir of late. Unfortunately, even the added snowmelt has only returned the reservoir to approximately 37% of its total capacity as of the time of this writing.
What’s Causing the Drought Conditions?
The consensus among scientists is that our recent drought conditions are a direct result of the effects of climate change. Here in Nevada, and especially in the southern parts of the state, it’s getting hotter and drier with each passing summer. The summer of 2023 saw Las Vegas set a new record for the hottest July in its history. And the persistent heat in recent years has had a profound effect on our water supply in a variety of ways.
To understand what’s happening, you need to understand the entire water cycle in the state, beginning with where it comes from and where and why it gets used. As previously mentioned, the major rivers here fill up as snow in the mountains begins melting in the spring. That’s where the problem begins. As our climate heats up, there’s less and less snowfall in the mountains. That limits how much water the rivers take in in the spring. But that’s just the beginning.
Throughout the mountains, warmer overall temperatures result in drier soil. So, when the snowpack in the mountains does melt, the soil gets the first crack at the water as it flows down the mountain. The drier the soil, the more meltwater gets absorbed before it can ever reach the major rivers. Plus, higher temperatures mean faster evaporation. That further reduces the rivers’ water flows and reduces the potable water available throughout the state.
The hotter weather also tends to drive up water usage, too. That forces local water authorities to impose ever-stricter water usage restrictions on residents. It has even driven the authorities to consider imposing water usage caps on homeowners in Las Vegas, which houses the bulk of the state’s population. In short, Nevada is experiencing a long-term drought, and the authorities’ actions make it clear that they don’t believe it will get meaningfully better anytime soon.
So, Can Nevada Run out of Water?
Going forward, there’s every reason to believe that the average temperature here will continue to climb. That all but assures that our draught conditions will not only persist but worsen. However, it is unlikely that Nevada will run out of water in the future for a variety of reasons. One is that local, state, and federal officials are already hard at work on both short-term and long-term plans to address the issue. Better still, some of the short-term plans are already paying off.
For example, the Las Vegas area has already successfully lowered its per-capita water usage by 58% relative to 2002 levels. As amazing as that sounds, it’s even more impressive when you consider that the local population grew by 52% during that same period. That means the area is using less water today than it did over 20 years ago, even though there are far more people living there today.
The states that share the water coming from the Colorado River are also taking steps to address water consumption in the coming years. To that end, the state governments of Nevada, California, and Arizona have put forth a proposal that would include evaporation estimates in their conservation calculations. In other words, the states want to tie usage restrictions to changing temperature conditions. That will help the states modulate water usage based on real-world changes to the climate going forward. As a result, residents here in Nevada could be more certain that they’re doing their part to address the dwindling water supply at all times.
Nevada is also evaluating a variety of strategies meant to augment our state’s water supplies. For example, they’re examining various proposals to expand upon effluent treatment and reuse. That involves the cleaning and sanitization of wastewater for additional uses. Treated water of that kind already sees wide use in Clark, Douglas, Elko, Lyon, and Washoe counties, as well as in Carson City.
Planners are also looking into groundwater recharge strategies. That involves the use of surface water during times of abundance to artificially recharge underground aquifers. Such aquifers aren’t as sensitive to surface temperature variations and function as a reliable backup water source in much of the state. Additionally, the state government is exploring the expanded use of desalinization, which is the process of producing fresh water from saltwater supplies. Though expensive, it’s a long-term solution that might alleviate Nevada’s water concerns for good.
Your Local Plumbing Specialists
The bottom line is that Nevada won’t be running out of water anytime soon. However, you should plan for maximum conservation to help the state meet its short and long-term goals. Bumble Breeze can help with that by offering comprehensive residential and commercial plumbing services to make your home or business’s water infrastructure as efficient as possible. Plus, we offer complete HVAC and indoor air quality services, too. As a staple of the Las Vegas community since 2018, we’re pleased to be one of the busiest and most successful contractors in the area. And as a Better Business Bureau-accredited business with an A+ rating, you can always count on top-notch workmanship and customer service from us. So, if you need plumbing services in the Las Vegas area, call our team at Bumble Breeze today!
