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USGS Sediment Studies in Lake Mead

Completed
By Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center November 16, 2013
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This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated.

Lake Mead is one of the world's largest man-made reservoirs at about 600 sq km, roughly the size of Chicago. Lake Mead started to form on the Colorado River in 1935, upon completion of the Hoover Dam. Since then, the lake has supplied water to agricultural, industrial, recreational, and municipal users in the southwestern United States.

 

Understanding the geology of the lake floor is an important component of the overall study. Some critical issues addressed in this study include measuring sediment accumulation and the distribution of sediment associated pollutants. The study also answers questions about the history of environmental change in the lake and its effects on the dramatic lowering of water elevation on the lake.

This project is complete and the website is archived and no longer updated.

Lake Mead is one of the world's largest man-made reservoirs at about 600 sq km, roughly the size of Chicago. Lake Mead started to form on the Colorado River in 1935, upon completion of the Hoover Dam. Since then, the lake has supplied water to agricultural, industrial, recreational, and municipal users in the southwestern United States.

 

Understanding the geology of the lake floor is an important component of the overall study. Some critical issues addressed in this study include measuring sediment accumulation and the distribution of sediment associated pollutants. The study also answers questions about the history of environmental change in the lake and its effects on the dramatic lowering of water elevation on the lake.

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