As global temperatures continue to rise, we're seeing more and more evidence of the effects
of climate change.
One of the most visible impacts is the drying up of lakes and rivers around the world.
Join FactVerse as we take a look at lakes and rivers that are drying up right now.
Great Salt Lake Utah is home to the Great Salt Lake, one of
several largest lakes in the whole United States.
There is no sea outflow to the lake, which is sustained by the Jordan, Weber, and Bear
Rivers.
This causes the lake's water to be extremely saline, making it unsuitable for the majority
of aquatic life.
Examples of the select few species include brine shrimp, brine flies, and a few varieties
of algae.
The Great Salt Lake serves as a home to many different species of birds, fish, and other
animals, making it an integral aspect of the local environment.
Recreational activities such as kayaking, sunbathing, and swimming draw many people
to the lake.
In recent years, the Great Salt Lake has been drying up due to a combination of factors
including drought, climate change, and water diversion for consumption.
This has had a negative impact on the local ecosystem and economy.
The Great Salt Lake is currently about 30% smaller than it was in 1847 when Mormon pioneers
first arrived in Utah.
By 2021, the lake had shrunk to an all-time low of 950 square miles, and it has only shrunk
further since then.
A plan to build a pipeline and refill the lake with water from Bear River has been proposed
as a solution to this problem.
Aral Sea The Aral Sea is a landlocked body of water
that straddles the border between Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the south.
Once the world's fourth-largest lake, it has been steadily shrinking since the 1960s as
a result of irrigation projects undertaken by the Soviet Union.
By 2007, it had lost more than 80% of its original surface area, and it continues to
shrink at an alarming rate.
The Aral Sea is now little more than a series of stagnant pools, and its once-rich fisheries
have all but disappeared.
The lack of fresh water has also led to increased salinity levels, making the few remaining
fish inedible.
The environmental devastation caused by the Aral Sea's disappearance is playing out on
a human scale as well: jobs have been lost, and whole communities have been displaced.
More water has been redirected into the Aral Sea in recent years, but the sea is unlikely
to ever return to its previous grandeur and glory.
The loss of this lake has been cited as one of the worst environmental missteps ever made
by humans.
Lake Poopó Lake Poopó was once Bolivia's second-largest
lake, spanning 1,200 square miles.
However, NASA's Operational Land Imager satellite discovered in January 2016 that the lake had
completely dried up.
Although not deep at only nine feet, Lake Poopó was still an important habitat for
local wildlife and a vital part of the local economy.
The loss of Lake Poopó is a devastating blow to the surrounding communities who relied
on the lake for their livelihoods.
Fishing was a major industry in the area, and the loss of the lake has left many people
out of work.
The dry bed of the lake is also a fire hazard, and dust from the lakebed can be harmful to
people's health when inhaled.
It is unclear what exactly caused Lake Poopó to dry up.
Some experts believe that a combination of drought and climate change is to blame, as
the region has experienced below-average rainfall over the past few years.
Others believe that excessive water extraction for agriculture may have played a role.
Lake Urmia Lake Urmia, once one of the largest lakes
in the world, is now a fraction of its former self.
Its historical size ranged from about 2,000 to 2,300 square miles, which made it the largest
lake in the Mid East.
The lake is located in the northwest of Iran, at a height of 4,183 feet (1,275 meters),
near the base of the great central depression of the Azerbaijan area.
Due to the lack of a drain, the water in Lake Urmia is extremely salty.
Lake Urmia was once a thriving inland sea, home to over 30 species of fish and countless
other wildlife.
But now, thanks to years of drought and water mismanagement, it has shrunk to just 2% of
its original size.
The loss of Lake Urmia is not only an environmental disaster but also a socio-economic one.
The lake was a major source of income for locals, who relied on fishing and tourism
for their livelihoods.
Lake Urmia's surface area has decreased by over 90% since the 1970s, to about 230 square
miles (600 square km), despite efforts by the Iranian government to reverse the situation
Dead Sea The Dead Sea is one of the world's most remarkable
natural features.
It is also one of the most endangered.
It's a salt lake in southwestern Asia, right on the border between Israel and Jordan.
Over a long period of time in the middle of the twentieth century, a number of about 1,300
feet (400 meters) below sea level was commonly cited as the benchmark for the lake's surface
level.
Interestingly, much of the water for the Dead Sea comes from the Jordan River, which empties
into the lake from the north.
However, starting in the 1960s, Jordan and Israel began rerouting a large portion of
the Jordan River's flow and boosted their commercial use of lake water.
As a direct result of these actions, the water level in the Dead Sea has dropped dramatically.
By the middle of the 2010s, the lake level had fallen more than 100 feet (approximately
30 meters) below the mid-20th century figure, which was roughly 1,410 feet (430 meters)
below sea level, and it has continued to fall at a rate of about 3 feet (1 meter) each year
ever since.
All in all, over the last four decades, it has lost a third of its surface area and more
than half of its volume.
Salton Sea The Salton Sea is a large, saline lake located
in the southeastern corner of California.
The lake is fed by the New and Whitewater rivers, which flow from the nearby mountains.
It is a man-made lake that was created in 1905 when water from the Colorado River flowed
into an agricultural area called the Imperial Valley.
However, the lake has suffered several severe droughts in the past few years, and the community
is worried about the future of the lake.
In the early 2000s, the lake was about 35 miles (56 kilometers) long and 15 miles (24
kilometers) wide.
By 2017, it had shrunk to about 30 miles (48 kilometers) long and 10 miles (16 kilometers)
wide.
Scientists expect that the lake will continue to shrink as the climate gets drier and warmer.
The shrinking of the Salton Sea is a problem for people and wildlife.
The lake is an important stopover for migrating birds.
As it shrinks, the concentration of salt and minerals in the water increases.
This makes it difficult for fish and other organisms to live in the lake.
The shrinking has also exposed mud flats, which release harmful dust into the air when
winds blow across them.
It is estimated by researchers that this might expose an additional 40,468 hectares of the
lake floor, substantially decreasing air quality in the area.
Lake Mead One of the biggest victims of the drought
is Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the US.
Situated on the Arizona-Nevada border, Lake Mead was created in 1935 when the Hoover Dam
was built.
It is currently at just 37% of its capacity, and if it falls below 1075 feet (328 meters),
it will be considered officially "dry".
The last time Lake Mead reached such low levels was in 2016 when it dropped to 1081 feet (329
meters).
However, the water level has been falling much faster in recent years, and it is now
just 12 feet (3.7 meters) above where it was in 2016.
If the current trend continues, Lake Mead could be dry by 2022.
The drought has had a devastating impact on the local economy and ecology.
Las Vegas gets 90% of its water from Lake Mead, and the city has already begun rationing
water.
Fish populations have declined sharply as their habitats have shrunk and dried up.
The situation is only likely to get worse as climate change causes more extreme weather
conditions.
With less snowpack in the mountains and less rain falling in the watershed, there is less
water to replenish reservoirs like Lake Mead.
Lake Chad The Sahelian region of West-Central Africa
is home to Lake Chad, a large body of water.
With a surface size of nearly 26,000 square kilometers, it is undoubtedly one of the world's
largest lakes.
In fact, the lake is shared by four different countries: Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon.
The lake has been drying up steadily since the 1960s due to a number of factors, including
climate change, overgrazing, deforestation, and poor water management.
As a result, the local economy and ecology have been severely impacted, with fish populations
declining sharply and millions of people being displaced.
The surface area of Lake Chad fluctuates throughout the year, with its peak occurring in late
October or early November and its minimum occurring in late April or early May.
The lake's volume is proportional to the amount of rain that falls in its catchment area and
the amount of water that flows out of the catchment region, minus the amount of water
that is lost to the atmosphere, plants, and the ground.
The Chari (Shari)-Logone river system provides about 80% of the lake's water.
Rivers like the Ebeji and Yedseram contribute significantly to the remainder of the inflow.
When the lake is at its largest, a low ridge running about northeast to southwest in the
middle of the body of water serves to divide the water into two distinct pools.
The ridge, which first appeared during a drought around the turn of the 20th century, has occasionally
created a sharp dividing line between the basins.
Owens Lake California's Inyo County is home to a massive
endorheic lake known as Owens Lake, which may be found in the eastern Sierra Nevada
Mountains.
The lake can be up to 60 feet deep and is around 30 miles long (48 kilometers) (18 m).
When it comes to natural lakes, this one is up there with the biggest in California.
The lake was formed during the last ice age when a large glacier blocked the flow of the
Owens River.
The river then backed up and filled the valley, creating the lake.
The lake was once a popular destination for recreation, but it has been steadily drying
up since the early 20th century due to diversions of water for consumption.
Waters that sustained Owens Lake were redirected into the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913 by the
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
As a result, the lake is now only about 10% full.
The drying of Owens Lake has had a severe impact on the local economy and ecology.
The dust from the dry lake bed has caused respiratory problems for residents and visitors
to the area.
Dust storms from the lake bed have also caused damage to crops and property.
For a long time, LADWP filled the dehydrated lake bed to lessen the frequency of dust storms
that were making locals sick.
There you have it.
It's now time to hear from you.
Tell us what your region is doing to deal with the drying up of lakes and rivers if
you happen to live near one.