LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Exploring America's Natural Wonders means big business for the National Park Service.
According to a new report released on Monday, in 2022, 312 million people spent $23.9 billion while visiting National Park Service lands across the country. The report states that money supported 378,000 jobs and added $50.3 billion in national economic input.
Here in Nevada, Lake Mead played a big role in bringing more money to the Silver State. Report data states in 2022, 5.6 million people visited the recreation area and spent an estimated $280 million at businesses in and around the park. The report adds that economic impact supported 3,020 jobs, $126 million in labor income, $211 million in value added, and $343 million in economic output in local economies surrounding Lake Mead.
While that might sound like a big number, Park Service officials said it's actually the lowest amount of visitor spending since 2013. The report also states the number of jobs in communities around Lake Mead have gone down by 25% in just a year. The most impacted industries are restaurants and hotels.
The number of visitors has been steadily falling in recent years due to water levels going down. In 2021, the recreation area welcomed nearly 7.6 million visitors. However, in 2022, that number fell to 5.6 million, which is a difference of nearly 25%. Lower water levels have led to slowing down how fast boats can be launched, more violent incidents being reported, and longer response times for law enforcement responding to calls on or near the water.
RELATED LINK: Boaters and businesses adapting to falling water levels at Lake Mead
The National Park Service and officials with the Lake Mead National Recreation Area have previously held public meetings to discuss what to do when water levels fall below a certain depth. Lawmakers have also gotten involved asking for federal dollars to address how low lake levels impact tourism.
According to the report, about 88.5% of people who spend money in economies around the Lake Mead National Recreation Area are visitors and aren't local. Many businesses rely on that steady stream of income to stay afloat.
"It's so funny because I would hear people coming in from the lake that I would be serving. I would hear them say oh my gosh. This place is a gold mine," said Jill Bunch, the owner of Chilly Jilly'z. "I would just laugh to myself thinking if they only knew how much it costs to run and to operate."
When looking at data from the Bureau of Reclamation, there are good signs Lake Mead is getting a little help this year. According to monthly numbers, between June 2023 and July 2023, water levels rose by five feet. Going back even further, from January 2023 to July 2023, water levels are up 15 feet. That doesn't include possible rainfall from the Hurricane Hilary storm system that passed through Southern Nevada.
Lake Mead officials reopened the park on Tuesday after closing on Aug. 19 due to unsafe weather conditions. Park officials add that most facilities and services are fully operational. However, there are exceptions with the concessioner-operated Las Vegas Boat Harbor, which was severely damaged in the Aug. 18 monsoon as well as the Callville Bay Marina, which is currently without power. There is also no marina fuel available in the Boulder Basin right now.
You can read the full report from the National Park Service, including visitor spending numbers from Death Valley National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Mojave National Preserve here.
