Part 2/8:
In a recent educational tour, water supply professionals embarked on a boat ride to the heart of Lake Mead, where a pivotal component of water security—the third intake straw—lies submerged beneath the surface. The third intake, which feeds the latest pumping station, was an essential development prompted by a declining lake level. The first intake, dating back to the 1970s, sits perilously close to the water level at approximately 1055 feet elevation, while the second intake, installed in the mid-1990s, lies at 1000 feet elevation. This precarious position necessitated the construction of the third intake, designed to be operational at a much lower elevation of 875 feet, aiming to keep Southern Nevada's water flowing even as the levels drop.