Vanishing Lakes of California: ‘Before and After’ Photos Show the Effect of Severe Drought

By: | May 28th, 2015

California is experiencing the most extreme drought in history, which has strained California’s water supply to catastrophic proportions.

As the state enters its fourth year of severe drought, it has been forced to draw water from reservoir lakes for thirsty households and farms. The lakes and reservoirs are reaching historic lows due to drawing water at an unsustainable rate.

Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in the United States, is at its lowest level it has been since the Hoover dam was completed in the 1930s. California’s Folsom Lake is currently at 40% of its total capacity. Lake Oroville, the second largest reservoir in California, is at just 32% capacity due to years of little or no rain.

There is a saying that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’…so we will let these before and after images show the effects of drought on lakes in California.

Nidhi Goyal

Nidhi is a gold medalist Post Graduate in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences.

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