Lake Mead · Hoover Dam reference guide

Lake Mead Critical Elevations Explained

Three often-confused elevations answer three different questions about Hoover Dam: when its usable turbine fleet changes, when turbine generation ends, and when gravity releases through the existing dam works end.

Open current Lake Mead water level Review Lake Mead projections
Schematic elevation scale for Lake Mead showing the 1,035-foot power transition, 950-foot minimum power pool, and 895-foot dead pool at Hoover Dam
Lake Projections schematic using elevations documented in Reclamation's July 2026 Final EIS, Technical Appendix 15. The scale is a reference guide, not a current-level display or a reservoir-capacity chart.

Three physical thresholds

Choose the question you are trying to answer

895 ft

above mean sea level

Dead pool

The intake limit below which Hoover Dam cannot release water under its existing configuration; it does not mean the reservoir is empty.

Latest reading: 145.24 ft above

Read the 895 ft explainer

Do compare

Use the dated water level and forecast

Compare the latest observed elevation with each threshold, then check the date, scenario, and source attached to any forecast. A deterministic trace shows one modeled path, not the probability of reaching a threshold.

Do not conflate

Physical thresholds are not shortage tiers

These elevations describe Hoover Dam equipment and release geometry. Official shortage determinations and water-delivery decisions use separate rules and annual operating decisions.

Keep distinct

Dead pool does not mean an empty lake

Dead pool is the point where water no longer reaches the existing gravity-release works. Reclamation calls 895 feet the top of dead storage because water remains below that outlet elevation.

Primary references

Official sources used for these guides

Infrastructure descriptions do not replace current operating notices. Lake Projections is independent and is not operated by the Bureau of Reclamation.