Satellite images released by NASA show how the water levels in Lake Mead have declined over the last two decades.
The space agency said in a news release that the largest lake in the US provides water to millions of people. It provides a stark illustration of climate change and a long-term dry spell in the US West.
The NASA Earth Observatory shared photos of the lakes' thin waterways.
Between 2021 and 2022, the waters of the lake shrunk. The lake has lost more than 25 feet of water in the last four years. The agency predicts that levels will go down by next summer.
NASA says water levels are at their lowest since 1937.
The water elevation at the lake was 1,040 feet. The lake would hold almost 9 trillion gallons of water if it were full. The last time the lake was full was in 1999.
The lake that straddles Nevada and Arizona is a major source of water for the Southwest. It was the first time since the 1930s that there was a water shortage in the lake.
There has been a decades-long dry spell in the southwestern US.
Climate change is being blamed for intensifying droughts. Changes in precipitation are caused by rising temperatures. According to NASA, about 10% of the lake's water comes from local precipitation and wells.
Human remains, sunken boats, and other long-submerged items have been revealed in the last few months.
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