Course of the Colorado River Lake Mead, formed by the -high Hoover Dam about southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is the largest reservoir in the United States with a full capacity of and a water surface of nearly . However, the lake has not been full for many years due to a combination of drought and increased water usage by Colorado River Basin states. Situated in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Mead is a popular recreation site – visited by almost 8 million people a year – and a critical source of water for the Las Vegas metropolitan area, Central Arizona and Southern
Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area is a public recreation area located in the Lower Colorado River Valley within the city of limits of Laughlin in southern Clark County, Nevada. The park is located directly across the Colorado River from Bullhead City, Arizona, and is approximately downstream of the Davis Dam. The park has two miles of shoreline and riparian areas. The majority of its consists of canyons and washes. The Fort Mohave Land Act of 1960 saw the transfer of of federal land in the Laughlin Big Bend area