Satellite images reveal mud-choked Lake Powell is LESS than half full and has hit a record low as the Western drought continues to strain major reservoirs



Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest man-made reservoir, was at only 42 percent capacity as of Tuesday

Located on Colorado River on the border of Utah and Arizona

In 2000 its capacity was recorded at 94 percent



Some 20 million drink from the reservoir

Over two million vacation there each year

Dam will go up by October as melted snow feeds the lake



Western drought has left Lake Powell on Colorado River less than half full, with satellite images captured this month revealing the strained reservoir is sitting at just 42 percent capacity.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) data, the lake, which sits on the border of Utah and Arizona and is crucial for both water and electricity, has been depleted by the drought, and is now not much more than a muddy river along an empty river bed.



Some 20 million people drink water from the reservoir.

In 2000, Lake Powell was at 94 percent of capacity, according to NASA's Earth Observatory, which released the image.

Depleted: Lake Powell is a major reservoir on the Colorado River. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lake Powell is currently only at 42 percent of capacity as of May 20. This image was captured by a NASA satellite on May 12, 2014 Lake Powell, the nation's second-largest manmade reservoir, was at only 42 percent capacity as of Tuesday

In 2000, Lake Powell was at 94 percent of capacity. Drought over the years in the southwestern U.S. has taken a toll on the huge reservoir

Lake Powell has slowly dried up over the years as a result of the drought. This image was taken in April 2010

According to NASA Earth Observatory "water levels are expected to rebound to about 51 percent of capacity by October 2014, the end of the water year Lake Powell is a major vacation spot, with about two million people visiting each year

But 14 straight years of drought have done a number on Lake Powell's levels.



Between now and then, all but three years have been years of drought.



The reservoir will probably top out around 51 percent of capacity in 2014.

Experts say the snow packs in the northern reaches of the Colorado River are above-average, and as the snow melts the water will run into the river.



Lake levels are likely to drop even more over the next few years, perhaps reaching 3,536 feet (1,080 meters) above sea level, or 164 feet (50 m) feet lower than a full pool of 3,700 feet (1,128 m) above sea level.



To get a sense of the amount of volume lost in that sort of drop, consider that Lake Powell covers 254 square miles (658 square kilometers).



Before: In 2011, FOlsom Lake, northeast of Sacramento, California, was almost full, sitting at a capacity of 97 percent

After: The capacity of Folsom Lake in January was just 17 percent, a whopping 80 percent lower than what it was 2.5 years ago

As of May 21, Lake Powell was about 117 feet (36 m) below full pool, at 3,583 feet (1,092 m) above sea level.



The effects of a half-full Lake Powell are varied.



Glen Canyon National Recreation area, which encompasses the lake and much of its surroundings, is currently warning park visitors to take care using boat launch ramps into the park.



Because the water levels are so low, water on the ramps is very shallow and leads to sudden drop-offs. But tourists may have reasons other than boating to come to the area. The lower-than-usual water levels have revealed spots flooded after the creation of the Glen Canyon Dam in the 1960s.



Among these spots are the Cathedral in the Desert, a water-carved grotto partially exposed by low lake levels.



Parched: Water levels for many of California's major reservoirs are well below average and dropping; concern is mounting that California may be headed for a replay of the big drought of the late 1980s through the early 1990s, or even worse, 1977

Parched: A warning buoy sits on the dry, cracked bed of Lake Mendocino near Ukiah, Calif. The reservoir measured a capacity of about 37 percent earlier this year



Another beloved spot, Rock Creek Canyon, features an exposed arch that boaters can float beneath.



The low water has also revealed bad news in the form of an extensive infestation of quagga mussels, an invasive species that multiply quickly, compete with native species for food and can clog water intake pipes.

