Aerial image showing the vast network of illegal roads that have been created within the Government Wash area / NPS

Though Lake Mead has enjoyed a slight rise in water levels over the past few years, it's been receding for decades. As it recedes, the amount of illegal roads and trails that have formed in Lake Mead National Recreation Area as people seek out the shoreline has dramatically increased, particularly in the Government Wash (this area has been closed because of the illegal road use) and Overton Arm areas.

As a result, the National Park Service has announced an $8.66 million, five-year project to address the surge of illegal roads and off-road vehicle trails. 

In November, 2024, Lake Mead's depth was 1,061 feet. That's 160 feet lower than the highest recorded level of the water, 1,225 feet, in 1983. "A 160-water level drop means approximately 81,000 acres of 'new' land has been exposed across the park," Deputy Superintendent of Lake Mead Recreation Area, Justin Pattison told the Traveler. 

Surveys around Lake Mead in 1999 showed about 824 miles of illegal roads had been created over the years. Recent aerial surveys compared with the old GIS date from 1999, however, show the amount of unathorized roads is double that amount, according to Pattison. "The increase in unapproved roads primarily comes from attempts to reach the lake’s shoreline as the water has receded over the years," he says. 

Three images of various scenes from around Government Wash area / NPS

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the money to address the issue comes to the NPS as a grant from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, a fund that draws from the proceeds of public lands sales around Las Vegas. 

The plan is to fully survey the illegal roads to determine the scope of the damage. Then, Lake Mead officials will work to block off the roads, make them less visible where they connect to authorized roads, and repair damage to the land, if possible. 

Along with those efforts, officials will work to educate the public about the damage these roads can cause, and will engage with local communities about their recreation needs and the opportunites available to them. 

Off-road driving through virgin desert landscapes can be brutal on sensitive plants and animals already barely clinging to life in harsh, arid landscapes. Cryptobiotic soil, often called biocrusts, are crucially important to the desert and particularly vulnerable. This living crust of fungi, algae, and other microorganisms helps keep soil together and provides a foothold for other life in the desert. Simply walking over it, let alone driving an SUV over the stuff, destroys it and it can take decades or even centuries to regrow. 

“This will be a heavily partnership and community-oriented project,” said park Superintendent Mike Gauthier in a statement. “We look forward to working closely with the public, tribes, and conservation-focused partners to help protect cultural and natural resources in these key park locations. Together we will take the next steps for the park’s future, working to elevate the beauty and recreation that makes Lake Mead special.”