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Life Changing on the Lake

A man tries to free his stranded houseboat on Lake Mead.
A man tries to free his stranded houseboat on Lake Mead. Photo: John Locher (AP)

The plunging water levels have meant a big shift in life on the lake, which is a hotspot for tourism and recreational activities like boating and fishing. Swaths of the shore that were once underwater are now plainly visible; officials say that roughly 20 feet (6 meters) of shoreline becomes visible with each foot the overall water level loses. Tourists are canceling reservations as lines for dwindling ramps are getting longer and longer, while boating is becoming more dangerous as previously deep sections of the lake get shallower. The lowering water levels have also exposed a mass of unexpected surprises, from trash that lines the shoreline to previously sunken boats to gruesome discoveries like decades-old bodies.

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