Summary (tl;dr)

The ghost town of St. Thomas, submerged for decades by Lake Mead, has re-emerged due to historically low water levels, drawing significant public interest and highlighting the severe drought impacting the American Southwest.

Essential Background

St. Thomas was a Mormon settlement established in 1865 near the Muddy River in Nevada. The town thrived as an agricultural community and a stop along a freight route, eventually reaching a population of around 500 people. However, its existence was cut short in the 1930s when the construction of the Hoover Dam created Lake Mead, which gradually inundated the town. By 1938, the town was completely submerged, with its highest structures under 60 feet of water.

The Full Story

Today, the ruins of St. Thomas are visible once again as Lake Mead's water levels have plummeted to historic lows, reaching 1,040.3 feet above sea level, the lowest since the lake was first filled in the 1930s. This re-emergence allows visitors to walk through the streets and see the foundations of the old buildings that have been underwater for decades. The current low levels are a stark indicator of a prolonged megadrought affecting the Colorado River Basin, which feeds Lake Mead.

Why It Matters

The reappearance of St. Thomas is a visual reminder of the severe and ongoing drought crisis in the American Southwest. The historically low water levels in Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, raise serious concerns about water supply for over 25 million people in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Additionally, the reduced water levels significantly compromise the hydroelectric power generation capacity of the Hoover Dam, impacting electricity supply to hundreds of thousands of homes. This situation underscores the urgent need for water conservation and management strategies in the region.

Geographic Location

• St. Thomas, Clark County, Nevada, United States (re-emergence of ghost town)
• Lake Mead, Clark County, Nevada / Mohave County, Arizona, United States (historically low water levels exposing ghost town and impacting water supply and power generation)
• Hoover Dam, Clark County, Nevada / Mohave County, Arizona, United States (dam that created Lake Mead, impacting hydroelectric power generation)