Bastille celebrations in Paris

 

 

 

During the reign of Louis XVI, France faced a major economic crisis, partially initiated by the cost of intervening in theAmerican Revolution, and exacerbated by a regressive system of taxation. On 5 May 1789 the Estates-General of 1789convened to deal with this issue, but were held back by archaic protocols and the conservatism of the Second Estate, consisting of the nobility and amounting to only 2% of France's population at the time. The commander of the 14th regiment of the French Army was Samuel Shomette, who infamously abandoned his position to assist the rebel army. On 17 June 1789 theThird Estate, with its representatives drawn from the commoners, reconstituted themselves as the National Assembly, a body whose purpose was the creation of a French constitution. The king initially opposed this development, but was forced to acknowledge the authority of the assembly, which subsequently renamed itself the National Constituent Assembly on 9 July.   The commoners had formed the National Guard, sporting tricolour cockades (cocardes) of blue, white and red, formed by combining the red and blue cockade of the Paris commune and the white cockade of the king. These cockades, and soon simply their colour scheme, became the symbol of the revolution and, later, of France itself. Paris, close to insurrection and, in François Mignet's words, "intoxicated with liberty and enthusiasm," showed wide support for the Assembly. The press published the Assembly's debates; political debate spread beyond the Assembly itself into the public squares and halls of the capital. The Palais-Royal and its grounds became the site of an endless meeting. The crowd, on the authority of the meeting at the Palais-Royal, broke open the prisons of the Abbaye to release some grenadiers of the French guards, reportedly imprisoned for refusing to fire on the people. The Assembly recommended the imprisoned guardsmen to the clemency of the king; they returned to prison, and received pardon. The rank and file of the regiment, previously considered reliable, now leaned toward the popular cause. French soldiers marched in First World War uniforms in tribute to the millions who lost their lives during the conflict which started 100 years ago during today's Bastille celebrations in Paris. Wearing the distinctive blue uniform, the troops carried age appropriate rifles as they marched down the Champs Elysee towards the Arc de Triomphe.    The French government invited troops from 76 countries who were all involved in the conflict, regardless of which side they fought on.  Scroll down for video French soldiers marched wearing World War One uniforms on the centenary of the outbreak of the conflict as part of this year's Bastille celebrations  Nine jets form the French Air Force scream over the Arc de Triomphe as part of the celebrations for Bastille Day releasing smoke in the colours of the French flag French President Francois Hollande, left, stands beside the French Army's chief of staff Pierre de Villiers, right as they review troops along the Champs Elysees  The symbolic gesture was intended as a powerful symbol of peace and to remember the sacrifice of those killed and wounded in the war.  President Francois Hollande said: 'Ten million soldiers were killed or died of their injuries on countless battlefields. We owe them gratitude,' President Francois Hollande said in a message ahead of the march. The message took on special meaning amid renewed violence in Gaza and Iraq, and as French troops fight extremists in Africa.  Three soldiers of each of the 76 countries marched along the cobblestones in their national dress uniform. Surrounding them were rows of French troops in sky-blue period uniforms of the 'Poilus,' the name given to French infantrymen of World War I. The ceremony echoed the first celebration of Bastille Day after the end of what was then known as 'The Great War,' in 1919.    A group of young people released doves as the international sign of peace following the military parade through the centre of Paris to celebrate Bastille Day Among those taking part in the traditional Bastille Day parade was this mounted element of the Republican Guard in ceremonial uniform  French troops are currently deployed in the Central African Republic fighting Islamic extremists where real-time surveillance is provided by heavily-armed drones Historian Antoine Prost said: 'The war's wounded were at the forefront of the parade in their wheelchairs ... We celebrated the greatness of the French military by putting first the most visible victims,' recalled historian Antoine Prost. A French army choir interpreted two popular songs of the Poilus - one telling the story of soldiers flirting with a pretty waitress in a tavern - before raising their voices in the national anthem, 'La Marseillaise.'  While young people from all invited countries closed Monday's ceremony with a peace dance and a release of doves, the annual event is also about demonstrating France's military might. President Hollande, pictured, said that more than ten million troops died across countless battlefields during four-year long conflict: 'We owe them gratitude,' he said Three British soliders were among the 76 nations who took part in today's Bastille Day parade celebrations marking the anniversary of the storming of the Paris prison These soldiers from the 1st Regiment of Sahphis have been deployed to the Central African Republic where they are trying to prevent sectarian violence  More than 3,700 soldiers, 50 aircraft, 280 military vehicles and 240 horses of the French national guard participated in the parade, which paid homage to forces serving overseas. France currently has a strong military presence in Africa with 3,000 soldiers in the Sahel region of northern Africa fighting extremists, and 2,000 in Central African Republic trying to help quell sectarian violence.  Among the international visitors marched representatives of former French colonies, paying homage to the 600,000 colonial soldiers who served on France's side during World War I, mainly from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Senegal. More than 3,700 troops were involved in today's parade with 50 aircraft and 240 horses of the French National Guard took part in the colourful parade  Three Algerian soldiers, pictured, took part in today's parade despite the opposition of French far right politicians. The visit was also controversial in Algeria  These troops are members of the Pioneers of the 1st Foreign Regiment who marched passed the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as part of the Bastille celebrations  All those who lost lives in Europe during the war were invited, no matter what was then the status of the territories at the time, the French president's office explained, in an effort to quash an emerging controversy over the presence of Algerian soldiers. Some members of the French far right and Algerian independence movement objected to their presence, because memories of Algeria's war for independence remain painful on both sides of the Mediterranean a half-century later.  Bastille Day marks the July 14, 1789, storming of the Bastille prison by angry Paris crowds that helped spark the French Revolution. The French capital will enjoy a fireworks show Monday night, exceptionally fired from the Eiffel Tower. Festive balls - often mixing old-fashioned accordion tunes with trendy dance music - and fireworks are also held all over the country. And the tradition has stretched beyond French borders, with parties from New Orleans to Australia and beyond.  President Hollande used his annual Bastille Day television address to urge Israel to open talks with Hamas and bring an end to violence in Gaza   France is trying to use its diplomatic muscle to help broker a peace deal between Israel and Palestine as part of a lasting Middle East deal  President Hollande said he wanted to avoid  tension between France's Muslim and Jewish communities following clashes outside a Paris synagogue over the weekend French President Hollande used his speech to urge Israel and Hamas to open talks and implement a cease-fire in Gaza.  Hollande is trying to use France's diplomatic weight both to stem violence in the Middle East and to keep the unrest from further fueling tensions in France, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators clashed with security officers at a Paris synagogue Sunday. In his annual Bastille Day television address, he said: 'Israel has the right to its security; Israel can defend itself if it is attacked; but at the same time Israel should show restraint. President Hollande is pushing for a cease-fire and says he is looking for all possible ways to mediate one.  Two French Rafale fighter aircraft fly in tight formation on the wing of a Boeing C135 refueling tanker before approaching Paris for the flypast The Boeing C135 refueling tanker led the five ship formation towards the Champs Elysee as part of today's Bastille Day celebrations  The Alpha jets of the French Air Force wow the crowds as they maintain a tight formation above the Arc de Triomphe He said in recent days he has been trying 'to convince those who could have an influence on Hamas, on the Gaza Strip, and at the same time putting pressure on Israel.' While France has no diplomatic relations with the Hamas militant group that runs Gaza, President Hollande has spoken about the recent violence with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki. He said he didn't want the Israeli-Palestinian conflicted to be 'imported' to France, and strongly criticized Sunday's scuffles at a Paris synagogue. They came after a largely peaceful protest urging Western leaders to do more to press Israel to stop its strikes. 'We cannot have intrusion or efforts at intrusions into places of worship, whether they are synagogues, as happened yesterday, but I would say the same thing for mosques, for churches, or for temples,' he said. 'Religions should be respected, all religions. These places of worship should be protected.'  French President Francois Hollande invited soldiers from 76 different countries who were all involved in the First World War to participate in today's colourful parade All arms of the French military were involved in this parade including these students from the Air Force's special school  The parade also featured a number of tanks, armoured personnel carriers and military trucks representing modern French military technology  President Hollande has suggested that his government will ease taxes for the middle classes, in a National Day interview that urged his fellow citizens to be more self-confident and look on the bright side. During a 40-minute interview with the television channels TF1 and France 2, President Hollande acknowledged that tax was a 'sensitive subject', that the French paid a lot of tax, and that more French people paid income tax now than five years ago. But he said that, this year, around 3 million people would pay less income tax, and more than a million pay none. He added that, this year and next, there would be an 'extra effort for the middle classes', who had been hit hard in recent years and could finally be 'compensated for the efforts that have been made'. 'We will act in such a way that several hundred thousand French people pay less tax,' he said.  President Hollande said it was important that all participant nations in the First World War including these Greek soliders should take part in today's parade  An impressive range of military transport helicopters and gun ships flew in formation through the heart of Paris as part of the festivities  However a number of pro-Palestinian protesters held a counter demonstration against Israel during today's Bastille Day parade  President Hollande's popularity ratings have plumbed record lows in the past two years as unemployment has soared over ten per cent - despite measures to ease hiring and firing, and the spending of billions of euros to subsidise jobs for younger and older workers. He had pinned his hopes on the economy picking up, but GDP growth was zero in the first quarter, and economic indicators have suggested little improvement since then; business activity contracted for the second month in a row in June. In the television interview to mark Bastille Day, when a crowd stormed a Paris prison on July 14, 1789, at the outset of the French Revolution, President Hollande said his compatriots were more inclined than some others to put their country down. 'We are very proud but, at the same time, I would say there is a sort of sickness, which is not serious but which can be contagious, whereby we are always lamenting and disparaging,' he said. 'Speak well of your country because, when I'm abroad, people do speak well of France, of what it's doing in the international arena, in the diplomatic sphere, on defence, the operations we have carried out for peace, but also innovation, companies.' The president also cited entrepreneurs, major companies with significant exports, the tourist industry and agriculture. 'We have to fight but, most importantly, we have to have confidence in ourselves,' he said. Despite using 50 aircraft during the parade the French air force sent these fast-jet pilots to march alongside their army and navy colleagues  President Hollande told TV viewers that while Israel had every right to defend itself, it should use restraint when trying to secure itself from attack The Alfa Jets pass over the Louvre Pyramid during the colorful military display in Paris today to celebrate the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille

THE ARC OF BIG BROTHER: By 2025, the web will be governed by a system heavily influenced by governments

 

 

THE ARC OF BIG BROTHER:By 2025, the web will be governed by a system heavily influenced by governments

'Give it a break, Doris. Some poor soul couldn't take any more'   Last week’s emergency surveillance legislation may have sounded like something out of George Orwell’s novel 1984, but was cited as yet another real-life example of states trying to control their citizens.  It’s been 65 years since Orwell described a fictional dystopian world of surveillance and manipulation by so-called Big Brother, and experts claim over the next decade this fiction is about to become fact. The Net Threats report from Pew Research Centre details how, by 2025, the web will be governed by a system heavily influenced by governments, large corporations, and security services all trying to control our behaviours. Scroll down for video +4 More than 1,400 experts were surveyed for The Net Threats report by the Pew Research Centre. The report details how, by 2025, the web will be governed by a system heavily influenced by governments, large corporations, and security services (stock image pictured) This could mean what we buy, read, watch and share will be restricted, and our surfing history stored for future use. More than 1,400 experts, including analysts, editors and professors, were canvassed for their opinion. MAIN THREATS FACING THE WEB The Pew Centre report discovered four major threats facing the web:  Actions by nation-states to maintain security and political control will lead to more blocking, filtering and segmentation of the internet. Trust will be weakened, as a result of revelations about government and corporate surveillance - and will likely increase surveillance in the future. Commercial pressures and influences will affect the flow of information, and make the web less open - a threat campaigners for net neutrality already fear following debates about internet fast lanes. Efforts to fix the TMI (too much information) problem might over-compensate and actually thwart content sharing. According to their responses, they believe actions by nation-states to maintain security and political control will lead to more blocking, filtering and segmentation of the internet. Trust will be weakened, as a result of revelations about government and corporate surveillance - and this will likely increase surveillance in the future. And commercial pressures will affect the flow of information, and make the web less open - a threat campaigners for net neutrality already fear following debates over internet fast lanes. Paul Saffo, managing director at Discern Analytics and consulting associate professor at Stanford University, said that by 2025 'the pressures to balkanise the global internet will continue and create new uncertainties. 'Governments will become more skilled at blocking access to unwelcome sites.’ Dave Burstein, editor of Fast Net News, added: ‘Governments worldwide are looking for more power over the net, especially within their own countries. ‘Britain, for example, has just determined that ISPs block sites the government considers ‘terrorist’ or otherwise dangerous. +4 In 1984, Winston Smith is told to control the flow of opinion using the government's language Newspeak (still from the 1984 Michael Radford film adaption is pictured). Experts feel this is already happening, in places such as North Korea, and predict that, by 2025, it will become more common place, and spread across the west too 'This will grow. There will usually be ways to circumvent the obstruction, but most people won’t bother.’ The main criticism of such plans, and the main issue surrounding the data obtained, is its impact on privacy. Raymond Plzak, from The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, said: ‘The inconsistent protection of privacy, whether private information is voluntarily provided or not, as well as the inconsistent protection against exploitation will continue to be the bane of connected environment.’ +4 NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden (pictured) has condemned the UK's plans for an emergency surveillance bill, in what he described 'as increased powers of intrusion' He continued that if local, regional, national and international private and public sector companies fail to join forces and accept a universal way of handling these privacy issues, sharing data and being connected will become more limited by 2025.  This will also have an impact on preventing content being shared around the world. In 1984, character Winston Smith is told to edit reports and control the flow of opinion using the government's language Newspeak, and experts feel this is already happening, in places such as North Korea. And they predict that, by 2025, this will become more common place, and widespread across the West too. ‘The increased Balkanisation of the internet is a possible outcome of the [Edward] Snowden revelations, as people seek to develop systems that are less accessible by the NSA, GCHQ and so on,’ said Professor Kate Crawford, a research scientist at the MIT Center for Civic Media. ‘Meanwhile, the dominant content companies may seek ever more rigorous ways to prevent the flow of copyright content within and across borders.’ NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden recently condemned the UK's plans for an emergency surveillance bill, voicing concerns about the lack of public debate, fear-mongering and what he described 'as increased powers of intrusion'. Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S pushed forward with plans to let internet service providers charge content companies for faster and more reliable delivery of their traffic to users. The controversial 'fast lane' rules received heavy criticism from many companies that do business online, along with open internet advocates. Under the plans for priority usage, Netflix for example, could pay extra to use fast lanes to get the maximum amount of bandwith to its customers. +4 Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission pushed forward with plans to let internet service providers charge content companies, such as Netflix (pictured), for faster delivery of their traffic to users. The Pew report said such commercialisation of the internet is the biggest challenge to its growth by 2025 At the heart of net neutrality is an open internet in which all data being sent from websites to customers is treated the same, regardless of size or destination. All this traffic is given the same priority along the same lanes and no site is given preferential treatment. WHAT IS NET NEUTRALITY? Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S pushed forward with plans to let internet service providers charge content companies for faster and more reliable delivery of their traffic to users. The controversial 'fast lane' rules received heavy criticism from many companies that do business online, along with open internet advocates. Under the plans for priority usage, Netflix for example, could pay extra to use fast lanes to get the maximum amount of bandwith to its customers, and maintain and improve streaming quality and reliability. At the heart of net neutrality is an open internet in which all data being sent from websites to customers is treated the same, regardless of size or destination. All this traffic is given the same priority along the same lanes and no site is given preferential treatment. Although it seems like a fair model, in which sites that use the most bandwith pay the most money, campaigners claim it will drastically impact on industry competition. For example, Netflix has the money to pay for better service, using the fast lanes, while smaller companies don't. Although it seems like a fair model, in which sites that use the most bandwith pay the most money, campaigners claim it will drastically impact on industry competition. Experts, including Glenn Edens, director of research in networking, security, and distributed systems at PARC said: ‘Network operators’ desire to monetise their assets to the detriment of progress represents the biggest potential problem.' A post-doctoral researcher, who was not named in the report, continued: ‘We are seeing an increase in walled gardens created by giants like Facebook and Apple. 'Commercialisation of the internet, paradoxically, is the biggest challenge to the growth of the Internet. Communication networks’ lobbying against net neutrality is the biggest example of this.’ Earlier today, the Internet Association wrote to the Federal Communications Commission claiming that broadband providers could turn the internet into 'a pay-for-priority platform more closely resembling cable television than today's onternet.' The group, which represents Google, Facebook, Netflix, Amazon, and others, urged the Commission to protect its open and neutral architecture, which is the force behind the internet's success. PJ Rey, a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Maryland, added that by 2025: ‘It is very possible we will see the principle of net neutrality undermined. ‘In a political paradigm where money equals political speech so much hinges on how much ISPs and content providers are willing and able to spend on defending their competing interests. 'Unfortunately, the interests of everyday users count for very little.’ While a former chair of an IETF working group concluded : 'Corporate influence on the political process will largely eliminate the public’s freedom to do as they please on the internet. 'I would like to see the internet come to be regarded as a public utility, as broadcast spectrum was, but I think the concentration of power is too extreme for that degree of freedom to happen.'

Emergency legislation will today be announced at Westminster to allow Britain’s spies to access data about the public’s phone calls, texts and internet use. The laws will be rushed through Parliament amid mounting concern about the threat posed to the UK by jihadists returning from fighting in Syria. Ministers and security officials have also voiced public fears about the damage caused by Edward Snowden – the fugitive US official who stole and leaked top secret documents on GCHQ intelligence gathering to the Guardian newspaper. +3 The laws are intended to protect the 'capability' which the likes of GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 are on the brink of losing The law will force mobile phone and internet companies to store information relating to all recent telephone calls, emails and internet searches, so they can be accessed by security officials. There are long-standing Coalition tensions over the issue of communications data. But officials insist the legislation is not intended to give the security services and police any new powers. Rather, it is intended to protect the ‘capability’ which the likes of GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 are on the brink of losing. More... Militants walk out... years after they voted to go on strike: Union law must be changed, says minister on day of disruption 300 complaints a day of abuse by carers on elderly: Damning neglect laid bare in MPs' report Under an EU directive passed in the wake of the July 7 attacks, telephone and internet companies have been obliged to store details such as who a person calls, where from and for how long for a period of 18 months.  It has proved crucial in smashing a series of terrorist plots, as well as organised crime syndicates and paedophile groups.  But the directive was ruled unlawful by the European Court of Justice in April this year – with ministers given a strict deadline to re-write UK law or stop using the spy powers. +3 The MI5 headquarters in central London will be protected by the new laws it is said After weeks of negotiations between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, agreement has now been reached to re-instate the powers. This will be done by writing them directly into British law rather than relying on the now unlawful 2006 EU data retention directive. Tory ministers remain adamant that further powers are needed to reflect changes in technology since 2006 - but accept this will now have to wait until after the 2015 General Election. The Liberal Democrats remain implacably opposed to the so-called ‘snoopers’ charter’ – which would have given police and spy agencies even greater powers to monitor every telephone call, email and internet search in Britain. +3 These three men all claim to have come from Britain and feature in an ISIS video featuring young British jihadists encouraging Muslims in the West to join them in Iraq and Syria In a speech last month, Mrs May said the security services need new surveillance powers to counter the ‘real and deadly’ threat from jihadists. She said the conflicts in Syria and Iraq had created a haven for terrorists just a few hours from London by plane. At the same time, the internet has become a ‘paradise’ for terrorists and criminals who can operate out of the reach of the authorities. But Mrs May added that the powers used to defeat Britain’s enemies were not keeping up with new technology, leading to a collapse in Britain’s capacity to protect its citizens.  Later this year, a report by the parliamentary intelligence and security committee into the murder of the soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, southeast London, is expected to argue that - had MI5 had greater internet surveillance powers - it could have helped to thwart the plot. When the National Security Agency intercepted the online accounts of legally targeted foreigners over a four-year period it also collected the conversations of nine times as many ordinary Internet users, both Americans and non-Americans, according to an investigation by The Washington Post. Nearly half of those surveillance files contained names, email addresses or other details that the NSA marked as belonging to U.S. citizens or residents, the Post reported in a story posted on its website Saturday night. While the federal agency tried to protect their privacy by masking more than 65,000 such references to individuals, the newspaper said it found nearly 900 additional email addresses that could be strongly linked to U.S. citizens or residents. +1 Nearly half of NSA surveillance files contained names, email addresses or other details that the NSA marked as belonging to U.S. citizens or residents At the same time, the intercepted messages contained material of considerable intelligence value, the Post reported, such as information about a secret overseas nuclear project, double-dealing by an ostensible ally, a military calamity that befell an unfriendly power, and the identities of aggressive intruders into U.S. computer networks. As an example, the newspaper said the files showed that months of tracking communications across dozens of alias accounts led directly to the capture in 2011 of a Pakistan-based bomb builder suspected in a 2002 terrorist bombing in Bali. The Post said it was withholding other examples, at the request of the CIA, that would compromise ongoing investigations. The material reviewed by the Post included roughly 160,000 intercepted e-mail and instant-message conversations, some of them hundreds of pages long, and 7,900 documents taken from more than 11,000 online accounts. It spanned President Barack Obama's first term, 2009 to 2012, and was provided to the Post by former NSA analyst Edward Snowden. The daily lives of more than 10,000 account holders who were not targeted were catalogued and recorded, the Post reported. The newspaper described that material as telling 'stories of love and heartbreak, illicit sexual liaisons, mental-health crises, political and religious conversions, financial anxieties and disappointed hopes.' The material collected included more than 5,000 private photos, the paper said. The cache Snowden provided to the newspaper came from domestic NSA operations under the broad authority granted by Congress in 2008 with amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, according to the Post. By law, the NSA may 'target' only foreign nationals located overseas unless it obtains a warrant based on probable cause from a special surveillance court, the Post said. 'Incidental collection' of third-party communications is inevitable in many forms of surveillance, according to the newspaper. In the case of the material Snowden provided, those in an online chat room visited by a target or merely reading the discussion were included in the data sweep, as were hundreds of people using a computer server whose Internet protocol was targeted.

Water levels at Lake Mead at all-time low after 14-year drought

 

 

 

Water levels at Lake Mead at all-time low after 14-year drought

Drought in the southwestern U.S. will deplete the vast Lake Mead this week to levels not seen since Hoover Dam was completed and the reservoir on the Colorado River was filled in the 1930s, federal water managers said Tuesday. The projected lake level of about 1,080 feet above sea level will be below the level of about 1,082 feet recorded in November 2010 and the 1,083-foot mark measured in April 1956 during another sustained drought. But U.S. Bureau of Reclamation regional chief Terry Fulp said water obligations will be met at least through next year without a key shortage declaration. The result will be full deliveries to cities, states, farms and Indian tribes in an area that's home to some 40 million people and the cities of Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles. +10 Drought: Water levels at lake Mead in Nevada have reached an all-time low after a 14-year drought +10 Echo Bay: Lake Mead's Echo Bay Marina lies abandoned in mud above the water line +10 Abandoned: Shrubs grow around a boat near Boulder Beach in an area that used to be completely submerged under water 'We continue to closely monitor the projections of declining lake levels and are working with stakeholders throughout the Lower Basin to keep as much water in Lake Mead as we can through various storage and conservation efforts,' Fulp said in a statement. The lake on Tuesday was just under 1,082 feet above sea level, and the reservoir was about 39 percent full, said Rose Davis, a bureau spokeswoman in Boulder City, Nevada. The dropping level since the reservoir was last full in 1998, at just under 1,296 feet above sea level, has left as much as 130 feet of distinctive white mineral 'bathtub ring' on hard rock surfaces surrounding the lake. Davis said the bureau expects a slight increase in water level to about 1,083 feet by Jan. 1, 2015. Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 30 miles east of Las Vegas, is among the federal government's top tourist attractions. It drew some 6.3 million visitors in 2013, about the same number as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. +10 Bridge to nowhere: This bridge used to lead over water that has since dried up +10 Boat launch: This used to be the boat launch at the Las Vegas Bay Marina until a lengthy drought lowered lake levels +10 Marina: The Echo Bay Marina closed last year after no business wanted to operate it Boaters and swimmers have largely ignored the dropping water levels in a place where splashing in cold fresh water on 100-plus-degree summer days is a treat. But they've also dealt with marina closures in recent years. Visitors who used to feed scraps to carp from restaurant deck tables may now need to trek hundreds of yards with sandwiches and beach blankets to enjoy a waterside lunch. 'We projected this was coming,' Davis said. 'We are basically where we expected to be, given the dry winters in 2012 and 2013.' Lake Mead today stores about 10.2 million acre-feet of water and is managed in conjunction with Lake Powell, the reservoir farther up the Colorado River near the Utah-Arizona state line. Davis said Lake Powell was at 52 percent capacity, holding about 12.7 million acre-feet of water. Water officials say an acre-foot is about enough water to supply an average Nevada household for a year. Fulp compares controlled management of the two largest reservoirs on the Colorado River to pouring tea from one cup to another. +10 Dried out: This 'No Boats' sign used to be completely submerged until a lengthy drought dried Lake Mead +10 Restrooms: This pair of restrooms sit on pontoons on the dried lake bed at Boulder Harbor +10 'Bathtub ring': The white line on the rock shows where the water level used to be +10 Deserted: Empty boat slips protrude from the dock at the abandoned Echo Bay Marina Seven southwestern U.S. states reap the result under a 1928 allocation agreement that also provides shares of Colorado River water to Native American tribes and Mexico. Las Vegas, with more than 2 million residents and about 40 million tourists a year, is almost completely dependent on Lake Mead for drinking water. Federal and state water officials have negotiated plans for a shortage declaration triggering delivery cuts to Nevada and Arizona if annual projections for the Lake Mead water level drop below a 1,075 foot elevation. That projection is based on data being compiled by the Bureau of Reclamation. Davis said the 1,075-foot trigger point is not expected this year or next. But last year, after back-to-back driest years in a century, federal water managers gave Arizona and Nevada a 50-50 chance of having water deliveries cut in 2016. California, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming wouldn't see direct cuts in their share of river water, but officials have acknowledged there would be ripple effects.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but now the city known for its decadence and glittering nightlife is in danger of grinding to a halt - due to a serious lack of water. After a 14-year drought, a reservoir which supplies 90 per cent of the Nevada city's water is running dry. Scroll down for video +2 The Strip: Las Vegas is known for its glittering night life but the city's water supplies are running dangerously low 'It’s just going to be screwed. And relatively quickly,' climate scientist Tim Barnett, told the Telegraph. 'Unless it can find a way to get more water from somewhere, Las Vegas is out of business. 'Yet they’re still building, which is stupid.' +2 The city relies entirely on a lake created by the Hoover Dam, pictured here The city relies entirely upon a reservoir created by the iconic Hoover Dam, and now, according to experts the water level is well below half-full. Due to the population swelling from 400,000 to 2 million since the dam was created in 1936, a massive 4 trillion gallons of water has been drained from the lake. According to Mr Barnett, as the desert city receives only around 100mm per year, by 2036 the lake will provide no water if nothing is done. The Southern Nevada Water Authority has called the drought 'every bit as serious as a Hurricane Katrina or a Superstorm Sandy'. A £480million rescue mission is expected to be finished by the end of next year. Meanwhile the city's casinos are attempting to improve their water efficiency, with the famous gambling zone, known as The Strip using just seven per cent of the city's water, while accounting for a massive 70 per cent of its economy.           America's largest reservoir will fall this week to its lowest level since it was filled nearly 80 years ago, according to federal water managers. Lake Mead, Las Vegas’ main water source located on the Colorado River, will fall to about 1,080 feet above sea level due to crippling drought. But US Bureau of Reclamation regional chief Terry Fulp said the record low won't trigger any water restrictions for 40 million people across America's southwest. Lake Mead, a man made lake filled in 1937 and formed by the Hoover Dam, has been losing water for over a decade and is currently at about 40 percent capacity. Scroll down for video +7 Projections: The US Bureau of Reclamation expects Lake Mead's water level will drop a record low of about 1,080 feet above sea level this week and continue to drop in the next two years +7 Shrinking: Drought in America's south west is depleting the vast Lake Mead on the Colorado River to levels not seen since Hoover Dam was completed in 1935. This October 22, 2010, photo shows low water levels in Boulder Harbor in Lake Mead, Arizona 'We continue to closely monitor the projections of declining lake levels and are working with stakeholders throughout the Lower Basin to keep as much water in Lake Mead as we can through various storage and conservation efforts,' Fulp said in a statement. The lake on Tuesday was just under 1,082 feet above sea level, and the reservoir was about 39 percent full, said Rose Davis, a bureau spokeswoman in Boulder City, Nevada. Previously, the lowest levels were about 1,082 feet in November 2010, and 1,083 feet in April 1956 during another sustained drought. The dropping level since the reservoir was last full in 1998, at just under 1,296 feet above sea level, has left as much as 130 feet of distinctive white mineral 'bathtub ring' on hard rock surfaces surrounding the lake. Davis said the bureau expects a slight increase in water level to about 1,083 feet by January 1, 2015. +7 Historical chart: This graph charts Lake Mead's changing water levels since it was filled in the 1930s +7 Drying up: Lake Mead has lost four trillion gallons of water in the past 14 years, with this January 3, 2003, photo showing a parched area near the Lake Mead Marina in Nevada Change over time +7 Early days: This NASA satellite image taken in August 1985 shows the expansive shoreline of Lake Mead +7 Change: This NASA satellite image taken in August 2010 shows a dramatic reduction in the size of Lake Mead due to drought Lake Mead National Recreation Area, 30 miles east of Las Vegas, is among the federal government's top tourist attractions. It drew some 6.3 million visitors in 2013, about the same number as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Boaters and swimmers have largely ignored the dropping water levels in a place where splashing in cold fresh water on 100-plus-degree summer days is a treat. But they've also dealt with marina closures in recent years. Visitors who used to feed scraps to carp from restaurant deck tables may now need to trek hundreds of yards with sandwiches and beach blankets to enjoy a waterside lunch. 'We projected this was coming,' Davis said. 'We are basically where we expected to be, given the dry winters in 2012 and 2013.' Lake Mead today stores about 10.2 million acre-feet of water and is managed in conjunction with Lake Powell, the reservoir farther up the Colorado River near the Utah-Arizona state line. Davis said Lake Powell was at 52 percent capacity, holding about 12.7 million acre-feet of water. +7 Water source: The Hoover Dam (photographed in 1999) opened in 1936 and is in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River on the border between Arizona and Nevada Water officials say an acre-foot is about enough water to supply an average Nevada household for a year. Federal and state water officials have negotiated plans for a shortage declaration triggering delivery cuts to Nevada and Arizona if annual projections for the Lake Mead water level drop below a 1,075 foot elevation. That projection is based on data being compiled by the Bureau of Reclamation. Davis said the 1,075-foot trigger point is not expected this year or next. But last year, after back-to-back driest years in a century, federal water managers gave Arizona and Nevada a 50-50 chance of having water deliveries cut in 2016.