Western North America's lakes are facing alarming water scarcity due to an extensive megadrought combined with significant water diversion. Notably, Lake Mead and Lake Powell have dwindled to just a small portion of their prior sizes. Similarly, the Great Salt Lake and Walker Lake have experienced drastic reductions in their water levels. The future for these crucial water bodies is fraught with challenges as they struggle to recover and stabilize.

Levels at reservoir along Arizona-Nevada border dipped below previous record set in 2022, amid water crisis in west

The record was first broken on Thursday night and continued to fall in the following days. Here’s why that matters.