The southwestern North American megadrought is a multidecadal drought in the southwestern region of North America that began in 2000. The 2000–2021 period was the driest 22-year period the region had
Lake Oroville, the second-largest reservoir in California, fell to a record 24% of capacity in summer 2021.
The prolonged drought that began in 1276 contributed to the late-13th-century migration of Ancestral Puebloans from Cliff Palace and other settlements in the Four Corners region.
Modeled soil moisture changes at the end of the 21st century under three greenhouse gas emissions scenarios
Dry lakebed in California during the 2009 drought.
Lake Powell
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Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona, United States. It is a major vacation destination visited by approximately two million people every year. It holds 24,322,000 acre
Southwestern North American megadrought
…because of falling reservoir levels, the first time the plant had ceased generation as a result of low water levels. In early 2022, declining levels at Lake Powell brought the reservoir close to elevations that threatened hydropower generation at Glen Canyon Dam. The Bureau of Reclamation identified elevation 3,525…
Glen Canyon Dam in Page, Arizona
Glen Canyon Dam and Colorado River bridge
Lake Powell in 2007
Lake Powell, looking southwest at sunrise