At one time, it was unfathomable that Lake Mead might ever fail to support Las Vegas. There was no “bathtub ring,” and there were no worries about water shortages.
Today, we face a much different reality.
When I was a kid, the fact that Lake Mead was the nation’s largest reservoir was a matter of local pride.
My dad told scary stories about the lake that left me wary
of going very far from shore: stories about man-sized catfish living close to
the dam, people pulled underwater and swept away by the currents, and other PG
versions of his bartender tall tales.
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| Me & Dad at Lake Mead |
In my childhood years, my family enjoyed the lake from the
safety of the marina (usually Echo Bay or Lake Mead Marina). Each marina had a restaurant
and the Lake Mead Marina had a shop where you could buy bags of popcorn or bread to feed
the carp, who went into a feeding frenzy almost as soon as the first scrap of food hit
the water. My dad once lost a pair of glasses to a carp that had its mouth wide
open at just the right moment.
Today, both Lake Mead Marina and Echo Bay Marina are gone
from their original locations.
Lake Mead Marina moved and is now a part of what’s called
Las Vegas Boat Harbor. In 2007, before it had to move, I was able to take my
son to the Lake Mead Marina; it's mostly dry land in this area now.
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| Lake Mead Marina, 2007, in its original location. See the "bathtub ring" on the hill? |
In 2011, my family staycationed at Lake Las Vegas, and we spent
our days exploring the lake. We went to Echo Bay, and I was stunned to see how
low the water was. I remembered going there as a kid, when the Echo Bay's hotel, restaurant, and bar were busy enough that my dad considered taking a job
there.
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| Echo Bay in 2011 |
Last year, the Echo Bay Marina closed. Over the past few months, several news
outlets have featured pictures of the structure’s remains left sitting atop the
dried-up former lake bed.
Low water levels are changing the appearance of the lake in
drastic ways, and for those of us who’ve known Lake Mead for many years, seeing
the water levels drop elicits a mix of sadness, fear, and wonder.
Do you remember Lake
Mead before the “bathtub ring”?
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All pictures by Terrisa Meeks
