Southwest Faces Severe Drought Conditions

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 18 - A disused fixed navigation beacon stands high above the level of Lake Mead, in the far distance, atop Sand Island, which is no longer an island, as unprecedented drought reduces Colorado River and Lake Mead to critical water levels on September 18, 2022 in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. The federal government has proposed an unprecedented plan to cut back on water supplies for Arizona, Nevada and California, where millions of people rely on its water and power, as climate change-driven drought continues to lower water levels at the biggest reservoir in the nation to historic low capacities. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)