Lake Mead, the reservoir next to Hoover Dam, shrunk to 39 per cent of its capacity last year and was at its lowest level since the dam was built in the 1930s.
Something truly fascinating happens when the water levels drop at Lake Powell, an important waterway shared by Utah and Arizona.
The sandstone that surrounds the lake is a deep reddish color above the water line, but the minerals in the lake’s water turn the stone white, according to the National Park Service. Known as a “bathtub ring,” it provides an accurate reading for the water level using only the naked eye. The more white you can see on the sandstone, the lower the water level.
As is evident in the photos above, water levels have dropped significantly in Lake Powell – as they have all over the Colorado River Basin – since a widespread, long-term drought began in the West. These images, taken last week, show just how far below normal levels the lake has fallen.
For years, Lake Powell’s water levels have been dropping as the West dries out. Now, much of the river basin is in moderate to severe drought, with some areas in danger of falling into extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Late last year, National Geographic wrote about the lake’s decline. Tree-ring data showed the last millennium had droughts far worse than the West has experienced in the first 15 years of the 2000s. Scientists believe there’s another megadrought coming to the area, and by the year 2100, water levels in the Colorado River Basin will be even lower than they are now. Median estimates project 45 percent less runoff at that time than we’re seeing now, the report added.
Lake Powell serves as a water supplier for 40 million people in seven states, according to NBC News. The reservoir also keeps the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead from flooding.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3018740/Who-unplugged-drain-Drought-leaves-bleached-bathtub-ring-canyons-Colorado-River-reservoir-lost-4-4TRILLION-gallons-water.html
