From the High Country News (Emilene Ostlind):
Although the surface of Lake Mead today is at almost 75 percent of its maximum level, the reservoir holds just 39 percent of its full capacity. The new low illustrates a trend that has implications not just for the almost 20 million people downstream who rely on the reservoir’s water, but for the entire Colorado River watershed.
More Colorado River basin coverage here. More Lake Mead coverage here.