06/09/2026
LAKE MEAD AT TEMPLE BAR MARINA, ARIZONA–NEVADA, USA
n 1982, Temple Bar Marina floated on a vast expanse of deep blue water. Lake Mead stretched across the desert, filling countless side canyons and supporting millions of people throughout the American Southwest.
More than four decades later, the difference is staggering.
The water has retreated far from its former shoreline.
Massive white mineral-stained canyon walls—known as the “bathtub ring”—now reveal just how much water has disappeared. Marinas have been repeatedly relocated, boat ramps extended, and entire sections of the reservoir transformed into dry land.
What happened?
• Decades of drought across the Colorado River Basin
• Rising temperatures and increased evaporation
• Growing water demand from cities and agriculture
• Long-term pressure on a river system that supplies water to millions
Lake Mead remains one of the most important reservoirs in the United States, but the landscape tells a story that can be seen from space.
The desert remembers where the water once stood.
And every exposed shoreline is a reminder of how quickly a landscape can change.
A reservoir that helped build the Southwest.
A future that depends on every drop.
