Nevada

Projection shows bleak 2-year outlook for Lake Mead water levels

Published

2 years ago

January 19, 2024

Projection shows bleak 2-year outlook for Lake Mead water levels

Lake Mead, the source of almost 90 percent of Southern Nevada’s water, is expected to near 2022’s historic low by the end of 2025, this month’s Bureau of Reclamation projection shows.

Based on the most likely scenario for Colorado River inflow, federal scientists predict the reservoir will dip to 1,044 feet in December 2025 — just 4 feet higher than the lowest level seen since it was first filled, which was about 1,040 feet in July 2022.

Forecasts that go out further in the future allow for a larger margin of error, and climate conditions largely dictate Colorado River flows. In addition to an estimate on the most probable inflow scenario, the agency releases estimates for a maximum and minimum inflow into the reservoir.

Increased snowpack in the Rocky Mountains made last year a solid one for river levels. But, historically, years with less snow follow, said Bronson Mack, Southern Nevada Water Authority spokesperson.

“We’re not out of the woods,” he said. “One good year doesn’t erase the past two decades of dry years.”

If the reservoir ever dipped below what’s known as the “dead pool” level of 895 feet, it would be unable to release water to the Lower Basin states that depend on it — Nevada, California and Arizona — and parts of Mexico.

That’s a worst-case scenario, but it makes conservation all the more important in Southern Nevada and throughout the Colorado River basin to avoid it in the future, Mack said.

Sweeping changes could come out of August’s two-year projection, which will dictate whether Colorado River states need to reduce water use even more at what’s known as a Tier 2 shortage.

Nevada has been in a Tier 1 shortage since August, meaning the state had to use 21,000 acre-feet less than its usual allowance of 300,000 acre-feet. Preliminary water use totals for 2023 came in way under that number, though, at 188,000 acre-feet, or roughly 89 gallons per person per day.

“The future of the Colorado River is warmer and drier,” Mack said. “It is a future of less water. It’s incumbent upon all of us to make sure that we’re using water as efficiently as possible.”

All who depend on the water Lake Mead provides should be monitoring levels and ensure that they’re following directives about best water-saving practices, said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network.

“For folks who may be hesitant to rip out some turf, put in efficiencies, whether that be for outdoor landscaping, or for indoor use, every drop is going to matter,” he said. “Let this be a warning.”

It’s also important for Colorado River negotiators to keep water levels in mind as they look toward updating guidelines set to expire in 2026, Roerink said.

Contact Alan at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.

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Nevada

California school district near Nevada caught up in a dispute over transgender athlete policies – WTOP News

Published

7 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

California school district near Nevada caught up in a dispute over transgender athlete policies – WTOP News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Lake Tahoe school district is caught between California and Nevada’s competing policies on transgender student…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Lake Tahoe school district is caught between California and Nevada’s competing policies on transgender student athletes, a dispute that’s poised to reorder where the district’s students compete.

High schools in California’s Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, set in a mountainous, snow-prone area near the border with Nevada, have for decades competed in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, or NIAA. That has allowed sports teams to avoid making frequent and potentially hazardous trips in poor winter weather to competitions farther to the west, district officials say.

But the Nevada association voted in April to require students in sex-segregated sports programs to play on teams that align with their sex assigned at birth — a departure from a previous approach allowing individual schools to set their own standards. The move raised questions for how the Tahoe-Truckee district would remain in the Nevada association while following California law, which says students can play on teams consistent with their gender identity.

Now, California’s Department of Education is requiring the district to join the California Interscholastic Federation, or CIF, by the start of next school year.

District Superintendent Kerstin Kramer said at a school board meeting this week the demand puts the district in a difficult position.

“No matter which authority we’re complying with we are leaving students behind,” she said. “So we have been stuck.”

There are currently no known transgender student athletes competing in high school sports in Tahoe-Truckee Unified, district officials told the education department in a letter. But a former student filed a complaint with the state in June after the board decided to stick with Nevada athletics, Kramer said.

A national debate

The dispute comes amid a nationwide battle over the rights of transgender youth in which states have restricted transgender girls from participating on girls sports teams, barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors and required parents to be notified if a child changes their pronouns at school. At least 24 states have laws barring transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports competitions. Some of the policies have been blocked in court.

Meanwhile, California is fighting the Trump administration in court over transgender athlete policies. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February aimed at banning transgender women and girls from participating in female athletics. The U.S. Justice Department also sued the California Department of Education in July, alleging its policy allowing transgender girls to compete on girls sports teams violates federal law.

And Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has signedlaws aimed at protecting trans youth, shocked party allies in March when he raised questions on his podcast about the fairness of trans women and girls competing against other female athletes. His office did not comment on the Tahoe-Truckee Unified case, but said Newsom “rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids.”

The state education department said in a statement that all California districts must follow the law regardless of which state’s athletic association they join.

At the Tahoe-Truckee school board meeting this week, some parents and one student said they opposed allowing trans girls to participate on girls teams.

“I don’t see how it would be fair for female athletes to compete against a biological male because they’re stronger, they’re taller, they’re faster,” said Ava Cockrum, a Truckee High School student on the track and field team. “It’s just not fair.”

But Beth Curtis, a civil rights attorney whose children attended schools in Tahoe-Truckee Unified, said the district should fight NIAA from implementing its trans student athlete policy as violating the Nevada Constitution.

Asking for more time

The district has drafted a plan to transition to the California federation by the 2028-2029 school year after state officials ordered it to take action. It’s awaiting the education department’s response.

Curtis doesn’t think the state will allow the district to delay joining CIF, the California federation, another two years, noting the education department is vigorously defending its law against the Trump administration: “They’re not going to fight to uphold the law and say to you at the same time, ‘Okay, you can ignore it for two years.’”

Tahoe-Truckee Unified’s two high schools with athletic programs, which are located about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) in elevation, compete against both California and Nevada teams in nearby mountain towns — and others more distant and closer to sea level. If the district moves to the California federation, Tahoe-Truckee Unified teams may have to travel more often in bad weather across a risky mountain pass — about 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) in elevation above a lake — to reach schools farther from state lines.

Coleville High School, a small California school in the Eastern Sierra near the Nevada border, has also long been a member of the Nevada association, said Heidi Torix, superintendent of the Eastern Sierra Unified School District. The school abides by California law regarding transgender athletes, Torix said.

The school has not been similarly ordered by California to switch where it competes. The California Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment on whether it’s warned any other districts not in the California federation about possible noncompliance with state policy.

State Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, a Republican representing a large region of northern California bordering Nevada, said Tahoe-Truckee Unified shouldn’t be forced to join the CIF.

“I urge California Department of Education and state officials to fully consider the real-world consequences of this decision—not in theory, but on the ground—where weather, geography, and safety matter,” Hadwick said.

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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Nevada

Proactive power outage slated for northwestern Nevada

Published

19 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Proactive power outage slated for northwestern Nevada

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Because of heightened fire weather conditions forecast for northwestern Nevada, a proactive outage is slated for Friday, Dec. 19, in Carson City, Clear Creek, Jack’s Valley, Genoa and Glenbrook from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a NV Energy news release.

The outage would affect about 715 customers, the release said.

During a Public Safety Outage Management event, the utility proactively de-energizes power for customers in high-risk zones to help protect the community and environment from wildfires, the release said.

If weather conditions change, the potential proactive outage will be adjusted or cancelled.

Customers potentially impacted have been notified via phone, text messages and email.

NV Energy will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates.

The outage timeframe includes the duration of the weather event and an estimated time for crews to inspect the lines for damage, vegetation or debris to begin safely restoring power.

The restoration time may change based on weather conditions or if repairs to equipment need to be made.

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Nevada

Meet the 2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls soccer team

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Meet the 2025 Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada girls soccer team

First team

Kloe Abdalla, Faith Lutheran — The junior was named the Class 5A player of the year by the coaches and helped the Crusaders win the state title. She is committed to Kansas.

Posie Armstrong, Faith Lutheran — The senior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state champion.

Julia Anfinson, Faith Lutheran — The junior scored 14 goals for the 5A state champion.

Anabelle Coe, Faith Lutheran — The senior was a first-team All-5A league midfielder to help the Crusaders win the 5A state title. She is committed to California Lutheran.

Cate Gusick, Coronado — The senior was named the 5A defensive player of the year for the 5A state runner-up. She is committed to Montana.

Emma Flannery, Bishop Gorman — The senior midfielder was a 5A all-state selection with six goals and 11 assists. She is committed to UNLV.

Allison Kleiner, Coronado — The senior was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up. She is committed to Vanderbilt.

Emily Marks, Arbor View — The junior was named the 5A goalie of the year and helped the Aggies finish third in the 5A Southern League.

Kenadie Mashore, Doral Academy — The senior goalie was named the 4A player of the year. She recorded 14 shutouts and 141 saves for the 4A Southern Region and state champion.

Daniela Mayorga, Canyon Springs — The senior scored 67 goals, a state record in a season by a player in the top classification (5A/4A), and added 27 assists.

Jazmine McCallum, Coronado — The senior midfielder was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up.

Alexandra Milano, Coronado — The senior midfielder was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up.

Olivia Petty, Faith Lutheran — The 5A all-state goalie recorded 74 saves and allowed six goals in 20 games for the 5A state champion.

Allie Rabe, Faith Lutheran — The senior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state champion. She is committed to UC Irvine.

Ella Schultz, Coronado — The junior defender was a 5A all-state selection for the 5A state runner-up.

Olivia Stark, Faith Lutheran — The senior 5A offensive player of the year scored 22 goals and added 14 assists for the 5A state champion. She is committed to UC Irvine.

Taylor Takahashi, Coronado — The sophomore scored a team-high 17 goals and added seven assists for the 5A state runner-up.

Sienna Turco, Doral Academy — The senior was named the 4A Mountain League offensive player of the year and scored 50 goals and added 18 assists for the 4A Southern Region and state champion.

Coach of the year

Kurt Divich, Doral Academy – Guided the Dragons to the Class 4A Southern Region and state titles, the program’s first state title.

Second team

Audrey Ancell, Green Valley — The senior was named the 4A Desert League defensive player of the year as the Gators allowed just eight goals in 18 games.

Taylor Bringhurst, Palo Verde — The senior was the 4A Sky League goalie of the year and helped the Panthers reach the state tournament.

Darien Cox, Green Valley — The senior was named the 4A Desert League offensive player of the year and scored 27 goals and 13 assists.

Gianna Davis, Doral Academy — The senior was a 4A all-state defender to help the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.

Olivia Gastwirth, Palo Verde — The sophomore was named the 4A Sky League offensive player of the year and scored 34 goals to help the Panthers reach the state tournament.

Olivia Geeb, Green Valley — The senior was named the 4A Desert League goalie of the year as the Gators allowed just eight goals in 18 games.

Devyn Giraldo, Bishop Gorman — The senior was a 5A all-state selection who scored 10 goals.

Peyton Hedstrom, Doral Academy — The junior was a 4A all-state defender who helped the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.

Taylor Johnson, Shadow Ridge — The senior was a 5A all-state selection for the state semifinalist. She is committed to Utah Tech.

Brooke Kramer, Liberty — The senior was a 5A all-state goalie. She is committed to UNLV.

Cristal Lara, SECTA — The senior scored 38 goals and led the state with 39 assists.

Elliott Lujan, Faith Lutheran — The senior scored nine goals and had six assists for the 5A state champion. She is committed to St. Mary’s (California).

Alayna Malloy, Centennial — The freshman scored 12 goals for the 5A state semifinalist.

Danielle Morales, Arbor View — The junior was a 5A all-state selection and scored seven goals.

Dasha Rosas, Doral Academy — The junior scored 19 goals and added 18 assists to help the Dragons win the 4A Southern Region and state titles.

Briana Salguero, Equipo Academy — The senior was the 3A region player of the year and scored 29 goals and added 15 assists to help the Yeti reach the state tournament.

Sophia Sachs, Arbor View — The junior was a 5A all-state selection and scored seven goals.

Aleah Warner, Bishop Gorman — The freshman scored nine goals and was a 5A all-league selection.