Mountains revealed in massive West Coast reservoir as water levels near historic lows

Lake Mead’s vanishing waters are exposing a long-hidden mountain landscape — as the infamous reservoir creeps within inches of an ominous new record. The lake’s surface has plunged to just 1,041.84 feet above sea level, putting it less than four inches away from breaking the record low set in July 2022. As the water disappears, rocky spires, trees and the tops of submerged mesas are remerging from the depths, creating dangerous new obstacles for boaters. The two Arizona Intake Towers, left, and two Nevada Intake Towers on the upstream side of the Hoover Dam are shown on Saturday, July 25, 2026. Getty Images Lake Mead’s vanishing waters are exposing a long-hidden mountain landscape. Getty Images Before the Hoover Dam was completed in 1936, the sprawling area east of Las Vegas was a desert l