Texas drought has worsened over the past year compared to California, and the dry weather has a devastating impact on the state's lakes and reservoirs.
The U.S. Southwest has suffered from years of drought, and until recently, the most severe impacts have been centered around Lake Mead and Lake Powell and much of California. Last year, none of California was free from drought, and more than 16 percent of the state suffered from exceptional drought, which is the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) most extreme classification.
However, after an abnormally wet winter, much of the drought in California is gone. Data shows that now Texas is suffering more than it did last year, especially when it comes to bodies of water in the state.
The most recent update to the U.S. Drought Monitor Map revealed that more than 93 percent of California is completely free from drought. Meanwhile, only 3 percent of Texas is free from drought. More than 16 percent of Texas is suffering from exceptional drought, with the driest areas in the central and eastern portions of the state. The dry, hot weather has contributed to worsening reservoir levels, and a chart on the Lake Levels website shows the lakes in Texas bearing the brunt of the impact.
Lake Belton in Bell County, Texas, is 18 feet below full pool, and the falling lake levels have revealed sandbars, stumps and trees, as well as sparked concerns that the ghost town of Sparta buried beneath the lake might become exposed.
Lake Buchanan in Burnet, Texas, is 27 feet below full pool. In July, the lake dropped 3 feet in 30 days and is now at an eight-year low, according to a report by the Daily Trib.
Amistad Lake, a reservoir on the Rio Grande River, is 7 feet below last year's levels and is on a downward trek, and Medina Lake in San Antonio is only 4.1 percent full, according to a map by Water Data for Texas.
Meanwhile, many of California's reservoirs are at above-average capacity, according to a chart by the California Department of Water Resources. As of Sunday, Shasta Lake in northern California was 74 percent full, a level 130 percent of the historical average.
Lake Oroville also in northern California displayed similar numbers, at 75 percent full, which was 136 percent of the historical average. San Luis Reservoir in north-central California was at nearly 200 percent of the historical average when its levels were documented at 81 percent full.
Southern California lakes were closer to average levels. Castaic Lake was 93 percent full, which was 113 percent the historical average, and Lake Casitas was slightly below average at 72 percent full, or 93 percent the historical average.
Meteorologists are worried that it could take years for Texas lakes and reservoirs to recover from the drought.
University of Texas at San Antonio professor Yongli Gao told KENS-TV that he expects it to take two years for the bodies of water to recover and urged residents to conserve water if they live in a dry area of Texas.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dale Mohler told Newsweek that more of the same dry weather is expected over the next two to three weeks. The panhandle might get a few thunderstorms, but they aren't forecast to be strong enough to replenish any bodies of water.
However, as November arrives, storm systems are expected to bring rain across Texas and Oklahoma.
"There's a glimmer of hope down the road," Mohler said. "We may head in the right direction as we get deeper into the fall and winter season."
Update 9/25/23, 11:56 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from AccuWeather.
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