Part 8/13:
Contrasting sharply with the Netherlands, Las Vegas faces the opposite struggle: water scarcity. Nestled in a desert, this city is highly dependent on Lake Mead, a reservoir formed by the Colorado River. Decades of drought, coupled with climate change-driven aridification, have drastically lowered Lake Mead's water levels, prompting emergency measures.
To secure water supply, Las Vegas invested in a deep-water intake — Intake No. 3 — a three-mile tunnel beneath Lake Mead that continues to draw water even as levels drop. This engineering feat involved an enormous vertical shaft and a tunnel bored under increasing water pressure. This infrastructure ensures Las Vegas maintains access to its primary water source despite declining reservoir levels.