Long-term drought can seriously affect water availability

Drought in Folsom Lake, California
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The severity of California's current (2016) drought is illustrated in these images of Folsom Lake, a reservoir in Northern California located 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento. The lake is formed by Folsom Dam, in the foreground, which is part of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Central Valley Project. In the July 20, 2011 view, the lake was at 97 percent of total capacity and 130 percent of its historical average for that date.  In the Jan. 16, 2014 shot, the lake was at 17 percent of capacity and 35 percent of its historical average. NASA and the state are collaborating to use NASA Earth observation assets to help California better manage its water resources and monitor and respond to the ongoing drought.