Lake Mead
Lake Mead is Nevada's largest lake. It's also one of the largest man-made lakes in the world! But it's important for many other reasons too. We get most of the water we drink from Lake Mead, which is created by Colorado River water that pools behind Hoover Dam.

Hoover Dam was built between 1931 and 1936. The dam helps control the Colorado River by stopping floods during wet years and storing water for dry years.

The water that pools behind the dam is Lake Mead. The lake serves as a giant reservoir that holds water for when we need it—like a pitcher of water in your refrigerator.