US reservoir water levels at their lowest in decades
Climate change has brought the northern region’s longest dry spell for at least 1,200 years.
US reservoir water levels have plummeted to their lowest in decades, highlighting a growing crisis in the northern hemisphere as record-high summer temperatures intensify. Lakes Mead and Powell, which supply water to approximately 40 million people, have experienced a prolonged decline in levels due to a dry spell that experts suggest is the region's driest in at least 1,200 years.
Recent extreme heat has exacerbated the situation, straining freshwater resources worldwide. For instance, Germany's Rhine River, a crucial commercial waterway, has dried up to the point where even shallow barges struggle to navigate, while similar challenges in the Danube have prompted Romania to shut down its only nuclear power plant.
Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
