The drought conditions in the Western United States are so bad, merely stating facts sounds like hyperbole.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 98% of the West is in a drought. About 25% of the region is in the worst category: exceptional drought.
Every state in the region is feeling the consequences. California is dealing with another season of record-breaking wildfires. Washington and Montana are seeing abysmal soil conditions, according to the Drought Monitor. Plus, lake and reservoir levels around the region are at scary lows. Lake Mead near Las Vegas and the Great Salt Lake in Utah reached their lowest levels ever recorded this summer.
But if those statistics aren’t enough to shock you, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. The satellite images below show just how much some of the West’s largest bodies of water have shrunk with this year’s drought.
Great Salt Lake, Utah
As of July 2021, the Great Salt Lake was at its lowest level ever recorded. The new record comes months earlier than when the lake typically hits its lowest level of the year, indicating water levels could continue to drop even further, said Candice Hasenyager, the deputy director of Utah’s Division of Water Resources.
Sailboats have been hoisted out of the water to keep them from getting stuck in the mud. More dry lakebed getting exposed could send arsenic-laced dust into the air that millions breathe.
PHOTOS: Historic low water levels at Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake recedes from Anthelope Island on May 4, 2021, near Salt Lake City. The lake has been shrinking for years, and a drought gripping the American West could make this year the worst yet. The receding water is already affecting nesting pelicans that are among millions of birds dependent on the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) 
The shallow water is seen from above at a boat dock on May 13, 2021, at Antelope Island, Utah. The silvery blue waters of the Great Salt Lake sprawl across the Utah desert, having covered an area nearly the size of Delaware for much of history. For years, though, the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River has been shrinking. And a drought gripping the American West could make this year the worst yet. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) 
MAGNA, UTAH – AUGUST 02: A sign is posted near a boat launch ramp to the Great Salt Lake at the Great Salt Lake State Park on August 02, 2021 near Magna, Utah. As severe drought continues to take hold in the western United States, water levels at the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, have dropped to the lowest levels ever recorded. The lake fell below 4194.4 feet in the past week after years of decline from its highest level recorded in 1986 with 4211.65 feet. Further decline of the lake’s water levels could result in an increase in water salinity and could generate dust from the exposed lakebed that could impact air quality in the area. The lake does not supply water or generate electricity for nearby communities but it does provide a natural habitat for migrating birds and other wildlife. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 99 percent of Utah is experiencing extreme drought conditions. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
MAGNA, UTAH – AUGUST 02: In an aerial view, low water levels are visible at the Great Salt Lake on August 02, 2021 near Magna, Utah. As severe drought continues to take hold in the western United States, water levels at the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, have dropped to the lowest levels ever recorded. The lake fell below 4194.4 feet in the past week after years of decline from its highest level recorded in 1986 with 4211.65 feet. Further decline of the lake’s water levels could result in an increase in water salinity and could generate dust from the exposed lakebed that could impact air quality in the area. The lake does not supply water or generate electricity for nearby communities but it does provide a natural habitat for migrating birds and other wildlife. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 99 percent of Utah is experiencing extreme drought conditions. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
CORINNE, UTAH – AUGUST 02: In an aerial view, an area of the Great Salt Lake that was previously underwater is now completely dry on August 02, 2021 near Corinne, Utah. As severe drought continues to take hold in the western United States, water levels at the Great Salt Lake, the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere, have dropped to the lowest levels ever recorded. The lake fell below 4194.4 feet in the past week after years of decline from its highest level recorded in 1986 with 4211.65 feet. Further decline of the lake’s water levels could result in an increase in water salinity and could generate dust from the exposed lakebed that could impact air quality in the area. The lake does not supply water or generate electricity for nearby communities but it does provide a natural habitat for migrating birds and other wildlife. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 99 percent of Utah is experiencing extreme drought conditions. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Lake Mead, Nevada and Arizona
Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the country, also dropped to historic lows this summer. It’s expected to continue declining until November. The reservoir east of Las Vegas delivers water to Arizona, California and Nevada and is important for agriculture.
Lake Oroville, California
This reservoir outside Sacramento got so full in 2017, its dam’s spillways collapsed and the lake threatened to release an uncontrolled amount of water. Fast forward four years, and the reservoir is only a quarter full. It’s so empty, the hydroelectric power plant at the dam had to be shut off due to lack of water. It’s the first time that’s ever happened in the Oroville Dam’s 54-year history.
PHOTOS: Before and after shots show water levels plummet in Lake Oroville
TOP IMAGE: April 27, 2021. BOTTOM IMAGE: July 22, 2021. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
TOP IMAGE: April 27, 2021. BOTTOM IMAGE: July 22, 2021. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
TOP IMAGE: April 27, 2021. BOTTOM IMAGE: July 22, 2021. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
TOP IMAGE: April 27, 2021. BOTTOM IMAGE: July 22, 2021. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA – JULY 22: In an aerial view, intake gates are visible at the Edward Hyatt Power Plant intake facility at Lake Oroville on July 22, 2021 in Oroville, California. As the extreme drought emergency continues in California, Lake Oroville’s water levels are continuing to drop to 28 percent of capacity. State water officials say that Lake Oroville’s Edward Hyatt Power Plant might be forced to shut down the hydroelectric plant as soon as August or September if water levels continue to drop. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Shasta Lake, California
Shasta Lake, another important Northern California reservoir, was about 150 feet below its full level at last check. The Google Earth images above show a dramatic change in just two years.
Lake Powell, Arizona and Utah
Lake Powell, which meanders its way across Arizona and Utah, is another body of water at its lowest level on record. The scant water has forced the closure of boat ramps, creating issues for local businesses that thrive on summer tourism.
The boaters, kayakers and swimmers who do make it out onto the water now have a very different view than a few years ago. The reddish-orange rock faces have been replaced by sheer white cliffs on all sides, all of which used to be underwater.
PHOTOS: Lake Powell at its lowest point ever recorded
LAKE POWELL, UTAH – JUNE 24: A ramp falls short of reaching the waters of Lake Powell on June 24, 2021 in Lake Powell, Utah. As severe drought grips parts of the Western United States, a below average flow of water is expected to flow through the Colorado River Basin into two of its biggest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell is currently at 34.56 percent of capacity, a historic low. The lake stands at 138.91 feet below full pool and has dropped 44 feet in the past year. The Colorado River Basin supplies water to 40 million people in seven western states. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
LAKE POWELL, UTAH – JUNE 24: The tall bleached “bathtub ring” is visible on the rocky banks of Lake Powell at Reflection Canyon on June 24, 2021 in Lake Powell, Utah. As severe drought grips parts of the Western United States, a below average flow of water is expected to flow through the Colorado River Basin into two of its biggest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell is currently at 34.56 percent of capacity, a historic low. The lake stands at 138.91 feet below full pool and has dropped 44 feet in the past year. The Colorado River Basin supplies water to 40 million people in seven western states. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
PAGE, ARIZONA – JUNE 24: A view of the Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell on June 24, 2021 in Page, Arizona. As severe drought grips parts of the Western United States, a below average flow of water is expected to flow through the Colorado River Basin into two of its biggest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell is currently at 34.56 percent of capacity, a historic low. The lake stands at 138.91 feet below full pool and has dropped 44 feet in the past year. The Colorado River Basin supplies water to 40 million people in seven western states. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
PAGE, ARIZONA – JUNE 24: A park visitor walks by the tall bleached “bathtub ring” on the rocky banks of Lake Powell on June 24, 2021 in Page, Arizona. As severe drought grips parts of the Western United States, a below average flow of water is expected to flow through the Colorado River Basin into two of its biggest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell is currently at 34.56 percent of capacity, a historic low. The lake stands at 138.91 feet below full pool and has dropped 44 feet in the past year. The Colorado River Basin supplies water to 40 million people in seven western states. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) 
LAKE POWELL, UTAH – JUNE 24: Park visitors view Lake Powell on June 24, 2021 in Lake Powell, Utah. As severe drought grips parts of the Western United States, a below average flow of water is expected to flow through the Colorado River Basin into two of its biggest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Lake Powell is currently at 34.56 percent of capacity, a historic low. The lake stands at 138.91 feet below full pool and has dropped 44 feet in the past year. The Colorado River Basin supplies water to 40 million people in seven western states. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
