The Straw at the Bottom of Lake Mead

Lake Mead has fallen about 189 feet since 1983, and on October 22, 2026 it hit its lowest level since 1937. Yet Southern Nevada, which gets about 90% of its water from the Colorado River through this lake, keeps drinking. We rebuilt the real lakebed from USGS survey data to show why: three intakes at three heights, a tunnel bored under the lake floor to an intake at the bottom, 34 pumps in 500-foot shafts, and the water's way back into the lake. No narration: every fact is on screen and sourced below. Chapters 0:00 A lake that keeps falling 1:09 The falling line 2:04 Three straws 2:54 Building at the bottom 3:43 Boring under the lake 5:25 The deep pumps 6:22 Below dead pool 7:16 The way back 8:25 The straw at the bottom