Dealing with drought at the Hoover Dam

Water managers across the country are scrambling for ways to produce the same amount of power from the hydroelectric grid with less water, including from behemoths such as the Hoover Dam.

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Aug. 31, 2012

A recreational boat cruises Lake Mead, where the high-water mark on the surrounding rocks shows the falling level of the lake.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

The massive Hoover Dam has been generating electricity since the 1930s, but falling water levels have forced engineers to develop new turbines.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

Engineering supervisor Aaron Muehlberg climbs down from a generator at Hoover Dam.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

New turbines allow the Hoover Dam's operators to "jam-pack more water in there, which will give us more energy," Muehlberg said.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

On a recent walk-through, Muehlberg highlighted the mix of antique details and modern improvements that mark the Hoover Dam's plant.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

Visitors walk across the top of the dam, looking out toward Lake Mead.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

Tourists look out on the high-water mark of the lake.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

Hoover Dam loses between 5 and 6 megawatts of capacity for every foot of elevation Lake Mead loses, meaning this year it's lost the equivalent of a medium-sized coal plant.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

A kayaker on Lake Mead, which is a popular recreation area in addition to a key water source.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

Lake Mead's shrinking water levels are seen. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's most recent projections suggest that in the next 50 years the Lower Colorado River's flow will decline between 9 and 10 percent due to climate change, with demand exceeding supply by more than a third.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

Aug. 31, 2012

A home under construction in Boulder City, Nev., the town originally built to house workers building the Hoover Dam. New homes in the area are being built with native plants as landscapes in place of a traditional lawn, which consumes more water.

Jonathan Gibby / For the Washington Post

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