the western drought
TRANSCRIPT
A Warning
The Western Drought
Are You Ready for a 35-Year Drought?
The American West has lost an estimated 63 trillion gallons of groundwater over the past 18 months
“A new study estimates that the possibility of a decade-long drought hitting the Southwest sometime this century could be as high as 90 percent. And there’s as much as a 50 percent chance of a ‘megadrought’ that lasts for 35 years or more.”
Take the current drought and double it; that is what a 35 year drought would look like.
Source: Yahoo
Lake MeadLargest man-made reservoir dipped to lowest level since the 1930s
Top left: July 2007Bottom right: July 2014
Lake Mead, Cont.The marina has been moved due to low water levels.
Top right: July 2007Bottom left: July 2014
Folsom Lake
Left: July 2011Right: August 2014
Mount ShastaDecember 2013 Snowfall was less than 5 percent; 30 is average
Top left: November 2013Bottom right: January 2014
Sierra NevadaIn January 2014, the snowpack was between 10 and 30 percent of normal.
Top right: January 2013Bottom left: January 2014