BOULDER CITY, Nev. (KTNV) — Hundreds of visitors flocked to Lake Mead this Labor Day for boating, jet skiing and other water recreational activities. Following a wet winter and recent string of heavy rain, water levels are up while crews work to clear damage.
Las Vegas local Amber Lewbinsky and her family come out to Lake Mead often and said it’s one of their favorite family activities.
“There’s no technology. There’s no distraction,” said Lewinsky. “We come out whether the water is high or low, but we’re so thankful we’re getting more rain.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the lake’s elevation is up about 20 feet compared to September of last year, boosted slightly by the wet winter.
But while rain helped the water rise, storms in the last few weeks have caused significant damages at Lake Mead Marina.
You can still see some damages at Hemenway Harbor caused by the storms.
“Right before Tropical Storm Hilary, we took a lot of damage actually from a monsoon,” said U.S. Park Service public information officer John Haynes. “This weekend, we did see a lot of washed out roads. We did see some structural damage like leaky roofs. But we did have staff out trying to clear the roads and more importantly, keep people safe.”
Sunshine this Labor Day was welcome news, according to Haynes.
Locals and visitors celebrated the holiday at the lake.
“We had all this crazy weather and it finally cleared up just in time for the holiday,” said Las Vegas resident Logan Kraft.
U.S. Park Service officials said it’s also been a quiet holiday weekend with no drownings reported so far.
In 2023, there have 23 deaths at the lake so far, according to U.S. Park Service.
