Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has dropped to its lowest water level on record.

Federal data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation showed the reservoir's elevation fell to 1,040.3 feet above sea level over the past week, breaking the previous low of approximately 1,040.58 feet set in July 2022. The lake, formed by Hoover Dam on the Arizona-Nevada border, now sits at about 27 percent of capacity.

The decline comes amid prolonged drought conditions and elevated temperatures in the region. The reservoir supplies water to more than 25 million people in seven states and supports agriculture and hydropower generation.

Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the Colorado River system, has also experienced sharp drops and remains near historic lows. Combined storage in the two reservoirs reached levels not seen since the 1950s.

Officials have warned that further declines could trigger additional mandatory water cuts for users in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Negotiations over long-term management of the Colorado River continue among the basin states.

The situation highlights ongoing challenges with water allocation and supply reliability in the arid Southwest, where demand has long exceeded natural inflows in recent decades.