Lake Mohave

Lake Mohave
Name	Lake Mohave
Location	Clark County, Mohave County
Type	reservoir
Inflow	Colorado River
Outflow	Colorado River
Basin countries	United States
Area	28,000 acre⋅ft
Created	1951
Islands	none

Lake Mohave is a reservoir on the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona. Formed by the construction of Davis Dam downstream of Hoover Dam, the reservoir lies within the Mojave Desert corridor and is administered largely by the National Park Service as part of Mojave National Preserve and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The impoundment supports regional Las Vegas water and power infrastructure while providing habitat and recreational resources for visitors from Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Geography

Lake Mohave occupies a canyon section of the Colorado River bordered by the Black Mountains to the east and the Newberry Mountains to the west. The reservoir stretches upstream from Davis Dam to near Katherine Landing and abuts the Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area footprint. Nearby communities and landmarks include Boulder City, Kingman, Laughlin, Cottonwood Cove, and the historic Old Spanish Trail. The area is intersected by U.S. Route 95 and serviced by access points from Interstate 40 and Nevada State Route 163.

Hydrology and Climate

Hydrologically, Lake Mohave functions as a regulated reach of the Colorado River and is influenced by upstream operations at Hoover Dam and Glen Canyon Dam. The reservoir moderates downstream flows used for irrigation in the Imperial Valley and municipal deliveries to Metropolitan Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority. Seasonal evaporation in the Mojave Desert climate interacts with inflow variability driven by snowmelt in the Colorado River Basin including the Upper Colorado River Basin and runoff from the San Juan River and Green River. The site experiences arid Mojave Desert temperatures with hot summers and mild winters, affected by regional phenomena such as the North American Monsoon.

History and Construction

The reservoir was created following authorization tied to mid-20th-century western water development projects championed by figures associated with the Bureau of Reclamation and authorized under federal statutes tied to the Boulder Canyon Project Act. Construction of Davis Dam began after negotiations among stakeholders including Hoover Dam operators, Colorado River Compact signatories, and power entities such as Southern California Edison. The project was contemporaneous with works in the post-World War II era alongside Boulder Canyon Project and developments that responded to demands from metropolitan centers like Los Angeles and Phoenix. Indigenous nations, including the Mojave people and Chemehuevi communities, have ancestral ties to the river corridor affected by the impoundment and participated in consultations with federal agencies including the National Park Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Ecology and Wildlife

Lake Mohave and its riparian zones host fish assemblages influenced by introductions and native persistence including striped bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, various sunfish species, and native desert fishes such as bonytail chub and humpback chub in regional conservation discussions. The shoreline and adjacent washes provide habitat for desert bighorn sheep, cottontails, desert tortoise, coyote, and migratory birds within flyways used by California gulls, great blue heron, and peregrine falcon. Riparian vegetation includes stands similar to cottonwood and willow corridors that support beaver-associated ecosystem functions in comparable river systems. Management collaborations involving the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and state wildlife agencies address nonnative species, water quality, and recovery plans tied to listed taxa under the Endangered Species Act like the Southwestern willow flycatcher in the broader Colorado River ecosystem.

Recreation and Tourism

Lake Mohave is a regional recreation destination drawing visitors engaged in boating, fishing, scuba diving, kayaking, and hiking along trails paralleling the Colorado River. Popular launch sites at Katherine Landing, Cottonwood Cove, and Laughlin/Bullhead City corridors connect tourists from the Las Vegas Strip hospitality sector and visitor markets in Phoenix and San Diego. Angling season targets species such as striped bass and channel catfish, with tournaments and events coordinated by organizations like Bass Anglers Sportsman Society and state angling clubs. Visitor services are provided by concessionaires under permits from the National Park Service and county authorities such as Clark County, Nevada and Mohave County, Arizona.

Management and Conservation

Lake Mohave’s operations are overseen by entities including the Bureau of Reclamation for dam operations and the National Park Service for shoreline and recreation management within Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Interagency frameworks involve the Seven States of the Colorado River Basin parties to the Colorado River Compact and metropolitan water agencies like the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to balance water deliveries, hydropower production, and ecosystem functions. Conservation programs engage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state departments such as the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Department of Wildlife, tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy to address invasive species control, habitat restoration, and cultural resource protection for sites associated with the Mojave people and Chemehuevi. Climate change modeling from federal research agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey informs adaptive management strategies for reservoir levels, drought contingency planning, and coordinated reservoir operations with Lake Powell and Lake Mead.

Category:Reservoirs in Arizona Category:Reservoirs in Nevada Category:Colorado River