Stages of Drought

The Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) has developed four drought conditions for the purpose of drought control:

1. No Drought
2. Drought Watch
3. Drought Alert
4. Drought Critical

Declaring drought

Declaration of a drought condition by the Water Authority is not tied to any single factor. SNWA takes into account the following relevant information before declaring a drought condition:

• Lake Mead water levels
• Community response to drought
• Projected water demands
• Other pertinent issues

Before recommending to the Board of Directors the drought stage change, SNWA coordinates with its member agencies. The board considers all of the factors before declaring a drought condition.

Water supply conditions

To assess water supply conditions, the Water Authority monitors the Bureau of Reclamation "Annual Operating Plan for the Colorado River System Reservoirs" and forecasts of Lake Mead's surface elevation to examine the likelihood of reductions in Colorado River water available for use in Nevada and to identify other factors that may influence the availability of Colorado River water.

The goal of the Water Authority and its member agencies is to balance measures to preserve a limited water supply while using the limited supply for the greatest benefit to the community.