Lake Mead is the largest reservoir in the United States in terms of water capacity. Formed by the Hoover Dam, the reservoir serves water to the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada, providing sustenance to nearly 20 million people and large areas of farmland. Lake Mead is on the Colorado River, about 24mi from the Las Vegas Strip, southeast of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the states of Nevada and Arizona.At maximum capacity, Lake Mead is long, at its greatest depth, has a surface elevation of above sea level and of surface area, and contains 26.12e6acre.ft of water.The lake has not reached full capacity, however, since 1983 due to a combination of drought and increased water demand. As of August 2017, Lake Mead was at approximately 40% of full capacity with 10 million acre-feet of held water. It has been smaller than Lake Powell (the second largest US reservoir when both are full) since 2013.HistoryThe lake was named after Elwood Mead (January 16, 1858 – January 26, 1936) who was the commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 1924 to 1936, during the planning and construction of the Boulder Canyon Project that created the dam and lake. Lake Mead was established as the Boulder Dam Recreation Area in 1936 administrated by the National Park Service. The name was changed to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in 1964, and Lake Mohave and the Shivwits Plateau were added to its jurisdiction. Both lakes and the surrounding area offer year-round recreation options.
