Lake Mead Faces Drought Amid Data Center Concerns
Lake Mead, a critical reservoir along the Colorado River, is experiencing historically low water levels due to prolonged drought conditions. This has raised concerns about water supply, power generation, and the impact of water-intensive data centers in the region. The reservoir supports approximately 40 million people and irrigates 5 million acres of farmland in the western U.S. Data centers, including Google's Henderson facility and Switch's The Core Campus near Las Vegas, have come under scrutiny for their water usage. In 2024, 23 data centers in Southern Nevada consumed over 716 million gallons of water, equivalent to the annual needs of about 4,395 single-family homes. 
