The once-pristine desert landscape surrounding Lake Mead now bears the scars of 824 documented miles of unauthorized vehicular paths, with aerial surveys suggesting this number could be double that amount. These calculations emerge from recent aerial surveys compared with prior GIS data, according to Lake Mead Deputy Superintendent Justin Pattison. The National Park Service’s November 2024 announcement of an $8.66 million Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act grant comes as Lake Mead’s surface elevation according to Deputy Superintendent of Lake Mead Recreation Area, Justin Pattison as he told the Traveler, measures 1,061 feet – a stark 160-foot drop from its … Continue reading Lake Mead’s 824 Miles of Illegal Roads: $8.66M Project Targets Damage to 81,000 Acres and Shrinking Water Levels