(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- The United States has seen some of the worst droughts in the year 2022, according to Newsweek. The land has reportedly been drying up as a result of high temperatures and mega-droughts.
48.1% of the total U.S. and 57.51% of the mainland 48 states are experiencing some form of it as of November 28, according to U.S. Drought Monitor data. The situation during the summertime was reportedly a lot worse, with 33% of all land in California, Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico experiencing droughts.
Antonia Hadjimichael, an assistant professor in geosciences at Penn State University, said that since the U.S. Drought Monitor was established 20 years ago, the U.S. has seen the worst this year in 2022 with over 80% of the continental U.S. classified as being in one.
Increasing temperatures and dry conditions have reportedly exacerbated water levels of rivers and lakes across the country. Drought and water loss are expected to continue in the coming years. Although Hadjimichael said that we cannot know what future conditions might bring, Lake Mead, a reservoir in Colorado, is likely to continue to decrease in the next two years.
Lake Meade is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam and spans the border of Arizona and Nevada. It has reportedly experienced its lowest water level since 1937, a period known as “The Dust Bowl,” when American agriculture and ecology were severely impacted as a result of natural and manmade conditions.
The lake has continuously lost water since 2000, breaking its records every year.
It’s important to note that there’s a lot of uncertainty in these estimates, including in the sign of the change,” Hadjimichael said.
The Colorado River, which provides water to 40 million people across multiple states and northern Mexico, is also impacted by the drought. As of July 18, 2022, the river was only at 35% capacity. Predictions reportedly indicate that the river’s flow could be reduced by another 10 to 30% by 2050.
