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Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Southern Nevada Water Authority, University of Nevada, Reno, and University of Nevada, Las Vegas
A Synthesis of Aquatic Science for Management of Lakes Mead and Mohave
Edited by Michael R. Rosen, Kent Turner, Steven L. Goodbred, and Jennell M. Miller
Summary
Lakes Mead and Mohave, which are the centerpieces of Lake Mead National Recreation
Area, provide many significant benefits that have made the modern development of the
Southwestern United States possible. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir by volume in the
nation and it supplies critical storage of water supplies for more than 25 million people
in three Western States (California, Arizona, and Nevada). Storage within Lake Mead
supplies drinking water and the hydropower to provide electricity for major cities including
Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Tucson, and San Diego, and irrigation of more than 2.5
million acres of croplands. Lake Mead is arguably the most important reservoir in the nation
because of its size and the services it delivers to the Western United States.
This Circular includes seven chapters. Chapter 1 provides a short summary of the overall
findings and management implications for Lakes Mead and Mohave that can be used to
guide the reader through the rest of the Circular. Chapter 2 introduces the environmental
setting and characteristics of Lakes Mead and Mohave and provides a brief management
context of the lakes within the Colorado River system as well as overviews of the geological
bedrock and sediment accumulations of the lakes. Chapter 3 contains summaries of the
operational and hydrologic characteristics of Lakes Mead and Mohave. Chapter 4 provides
information on water quality, including discussion on the monitoring of contaminants and
sediments within the reservoirs. Chapter 5 describes aquatic biota and wildlife, including
food-web dynamics, plankton, invertebrates, fish, aquatic birds, and aquatic vegetation.
Chapter 6 outlines threats and stressors to the health of Lake Mead aquatic ecosystems
that include a range of environmental contaminants, invasive species, and climate change.
Chapter 7 provides a more detailed summary of overall findings that are presented
in Chapter 1; and it contains a more detailed discussion on associated management
implications, additional research, and monitoring needs.
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First posted January 29, 2013
- General Information Product 148
Wessells, S.M., and Rosen, M.J., 2013, Lake Mead—Clear and Vital: U.S. Geological Survey General Information Product 148, DVD movie, 13 minutes.
Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge. |
Suggested citation:
Rosen, M.R., Turner, K., Goodbred, S.L., and Miller, J.M., eds., 2012, A synthesis of aquatic science for management
of Lakes Mead and Mohave: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1381, 162 p.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1.—Introduction and Summary of Findings
By Kent Turner, Michael R. Rosen, Steven L. Goodbred, and Jennell M. Miller
Chapter 2.—Environmental Setting of Lake Mead National Recreation Area
By Kent Turner, Michael R. Rosen, G. Chris Holdren, Steven L. Goodbred, and David C. Twichell
Chapter 3.—Hydrology and Management of Lakes Mead and Mohave within the Colorado River Basin
By G. Chris Holdren, Todd Tietjen, Kent Turner, and Jennell M. Miller
Chapter 4.—Lake Water Quality
By Todd Tietjen, G. Chris Holdren, Michael R. Rosen, Ronald J. Veley, Michael J. Moran, Brett Vanderford, Wai Hing Wong, and Douglas D. Drury
Chapter 5.—Wildlife and Biological Resources
By Sudeep Chandra, Scott R. Abella, Brandon A. Albrecht, Joseph G. Barnes, E. Cayenne Engel, Steven L. Goodbred, Paul B. Holden, Ron B. Kegerries, Jef R. Jaeger, Erik Orsak, Michael R. Rosen, John Sjöberg, and Wai Hing Wong
Chapter 6.—Threats and Stressors to the Health of the Ecosystems of Lakes Mead and Mohave
By Michael R. Rosen, Steven L. Goodbred, Wai Hing Wong, Reynaldo Patiño, Kent Turner, Craig J. Palmer, and Peggy Roefer
Chapter 7.—Management Implications of the Science
By Kent Turner, Steven L. Goodbred, Michael R. Rosen, and Jennell M. Miller
Glossary
Appendix A.—List of 96 species compiled from observations made during monthly aquatic
bird surveys on Lakes Mead and Mohave over a 5-year period (2004–2009)