Satellite imagery over Iran from 1984 to 2014 revealing Lake Urmia's diminishing surface area

A number of natural lakes throughout the world are drying or completely dry due to irrigation or urban use diverting inflow.[1][2]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2013)
List of drying lakes
Lake name Location Coordinates Original size as of Reduced size as of References
Aral Sea Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan 45°N 60°E / 45°N 60°E / 45; 60 (Aral Sea) 68,000 km2 (26,000 sq mi) 1960 14,280 km2 (5,510 sq mi) 2010 [3]
Lake Chad Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria 13°00′N 14°30′E / 13.0°N 14.5°E / 13.0; 14.5 (Lake Chad) 22,000 km2 (8,500 sq mi) 1966 300 km2 (120 sq mi) 2006 [4]
Qinghai Lake China 37°00′N 100°06′E / 37.0°N 100.1°E / 37.0; 100.1 (Qinghai Lake) 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) 4,543 km2 (1,754 sq mi) 2020 [5][6][7]
Lake Urmia Iran 37°42′N 45°24′E / 37.7°N 45.4°E / 37.7; 45.4 (Lake Urmia) 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi) 2,820 km2 (1,090 sq mi) 2021 [8]
Great Salt Lake Utah, U.S. 41°12′N 112°30′W / 41.2°N 112.5°W / 41.2; -112.5 (Great Salt Lake) 4,400 km2 (1,700 sq mi) 1980s 2,500 km2 (950 sq mi) 2021 [9][10]
Poyang Lake Jiangxi, China 29°06′N 116°18′E / 29.1°N 116.3°E / 29.1; 116.3 (Poyang Lake) 3,500 km2 (1,400 sq mi) 200 km2 (77 sq mi) 2012 [11]
Lake Poopó Bolivia 18°36′S 67°06′W / 18.6°S 67.1°W / -18.6; -67.1 (Lake Poopó) 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi) 0 2015 [12]
Hamun Lake Irano-Afghan border 30°48′N 61°42′E / 30.8°N 61.7°E / 30.8; 61.7 (Hamun Lake) 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) 0 2002 [13]
Lop Nur Xinjiang, China 40°30′N 90°30′E / 40.5°N 90.5°E / 40.5; 90.5 (Lop Nur) 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) 1950s 0 1970 [14]
Tulare Lake California, U.S. 36°00′N 119°48′W / 36.0°N 119.8°W / 36.0; -119.8 (Tulare Lake) 1,800 km2 (690 sq mi) 1880

5.2 km2 (2 sq mi)

2023 [15]
Lake Chapala Mexico 20°12′N 103°00′W / 20.2°N 103.0°W / 20.2; -103.0 (Lake Chapala) 1,048 km2 (405 sq mi) 1986 812 km2 (314 sq mi) 2001 [16]
Dead Sea Israel, Jordan, and Palestine 31°30′N 35°30′E / 31.5°N 35.5°E / 31.5; 35.5 (Dead Sea) 1,030 km2 (400 sq mi) 1960 605 km2 (234 sq mi) 2016 [17][18]
Lake Ebinur Xinjiang, China 44°54′N 83°00′E / 44.9°N 83°E / 44.9; 83 (Lake Ebi) 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi) 1955 500 km2 (190 sq mi) 2014 [19][20]
Salton Sea California, U.S. 33°18′N 115°48′W / 33.3°N 115.8°W / 33.3; -115.8 (Salton Sea) 940 km2 (363 sq mi) 2003 832 km2 (321 sq mi) 2022 [21][22]
Lake Faguibine Mali 16°42′N 4°00′W / 16.7°N 4.0°W / 16.7; -4.0 (Lake Faguibine) 590 km2 (230 sq mi) 1974 0 2000 [23]
Pyramid Lake Nevada, U.S. 40°06′N 119°36′W / 40.1°N 119.6°W / 40.1; -119.6 (Pyramid Lake) 510 km2 (125,000 acres) [24][25]
Lake Amik Turkey 36°18′N 36°18′E / 36.3°N 36.3°E / 36.3; 36.3 (Lake Amik) 300–350 km2 (120–140 sq mi) 1950s 0 2012 [26]
Lake Cuitzeo Michoacán, Mexico 19°56′N 101°05′W / 19.93°N 101.08°W / 19.93; -101.08 (Lake Cuitzeo) 300 km2 (120 sq mi) 1941 [27]
Owens Lake California, U.S. 36°26′N 117°57′W / 36.43°N 117.95°W / 36.43; -117.95 (Owens Lake) 280 km2 (110 sq mi) 1913 0 1926 [28]
Walker Lake Nevada, U.S. 38°41′N 118°44′W / 38.69°N 118.74°W / 38.69; -118.74 (Walker Lake) 277.1 km2 (68,480 acres) 1882 130.3 km2 (32,190 acres) 2005 [29]
Alan Nur Xinjiang, China 45°48′N 85°56′E / 45.80°N 85.93°E / 45.80; 85.93 (Alan Nur) 238 km2 (92 sq mi) 1950 0 1970 [30][31]
Mono Lake California, U.S. 38°01′N 119°01′W / 38.02°N 119.01°W / 38.02; -119.01 (Mono Lake) 220 km2 (55,000 acres) 1941 171 km2 (42,300 acres) 2015 [32]
Lake Albert South Australia 35°38′S 139°17′E / 35.63°S 139.28°E / -35.63; 139.28 (Lake Albert) 168 km2 (65 sq mi) [33][34]
Lake Hindmarsh Australia 36°04′S 141°55′E / 36.06°S 141.91°E / -36.06; 141.91 (Lake Hindmarsh) 135 km2 (52 sq mi) 1975 0 2000 [35]
Lake Hula (he) Israel 33°06′N 35°36′E / 33.1°N 35.6°E / 33.1; 35.6 14 km2 (5.4 sq mi) Pre 1950 0 1950s [36]
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

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See also

References

  1. ^ Pearce, Fred (2006). When the Rivers Run Dry: Water, the Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century. Beacon Press. ISBN 9780807085738.
  2. ^ Wurtsbaugh, W; Miller, C; Null, S; et al. (2017). "Decline of the world's saline lakes" (PDF). Nature Geoscience. 10 (11): 816–821. Bibcode:2017NatGe..10..816W. doi:10.1038/ngeo3052.
  3. ^ Gaybullaev, B; Chen, SC; Gaybullaev, D (2012). "Changes in water volume of the Aral Sea after 1960". Appl Water Sci. 2 (4): 285–291. Bibcode:2012ApWS....2..285G. doi:10.1007/s13201-012-0048-z. S2CID 129498432.
  4. ^ Africa's Lakes: Atlas of our changing environment. UNEP. 2006. ISBN 9789280726947.
  5. ^ "Qinghai Lake splits due to deterioration". Chinadaily.com.cn. 2004-02-24. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  6. ^ 青海湖面积较上年同期增大28平方公里. Xinhua News. 21 May 2020. Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Koko Nor". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-12-02.
  8. ^ Schwartzstein, Peter (25 February 2021). "The return of a once-dying lake". BBC.
  9. ^ Carlowicz, Michael (August 18, 2021). "Record Low for Great Salt Lake". NASA Earth Observatory.
  10. ^ Flavelle, Christopher (June 9, 2022). "As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An 'Environmental Nuclear Bomb'". New York Times.
  11. ^ Thibault, Harold (2012-01-31). "China's largest freshwater lake dries up". The Guardian.
  12. ^ Torres-Batlló, J; Marti-Cardona, B (January 11, 2021). "Lake Poopó: why Bolivia's second largest lake disappeared – and how to bring it back". The Conversation.
  13. ^ Weier, John (2002-12-13). "From Wetland to Wasteland: the destruction of the Hamoun Oasis". Earth Observatory. NASA.
  14. ^ "Lop Nur". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-11-26.
  15. ^ Wyatt, Dennis (2021-08-28). "Lake that Disappeared". Manteca/Ripon Bulletin.
  16. ^ "Shrinking Lake Chapala". Earth Observatory. NASA. September 14, 2003.
  17. ^ "Dead Sea". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-11-28.
  18. ^ "The Dead Sea Is Dying Fast: Is It Too Late to Save It, or Was It Always a Lost Cause?". Haaretz. 7 October 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Shrinking Lake Ebinur". Earth Observatory. NASA. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 2021-12-01.
  20. ^ Ming'ai, Zhang (November 30, 2007). "Lake shrinks, desert expands". China.org.cn.
  21. ^ Abou-Diwan, Antoine (2013-09-10). "Salton Sea could be worse than Owens Lake". Imperial Valley Press.
  22. ^ "Current Information on the Salton Sea". Pacific Institute. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  23. ^ "Drying of Lake Faguibine, Mali". Earth Observatory. NASA. August 10, 2008.
  24. ^ Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Truckee Meadows Flood Control Project Nevada, General Reevaluation Report (PDF) (Report). Vol. 1. US Army Corps of Engineers. May 2013. p. 9. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  25. ^ "Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe". Retrieved 2021-11-30.
  26. ^ Çalişkan, V. Human-Induced Wetland Degradation: A case study of Lake Amik (PDF). Balwois. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2012.
  27. ^ "What was Mexico's second largest lake now a cemetery of abandoned fishboats". Mexico News Daily. April 22, 2021.
  28. ^ Reheis, MC (1997). "Dust deposition downwind of Owens (Dry) Lake, 1991-1994". Journal of Geophysical Research. 102 (D22): 25999–26008. doi:10.1029/97JD01967.
  29. ^ Lopes, TJ; LaRue Smith, J. "Bathymetry of Walker Lake, West-Central Nevada" (PDF). Reston, Virginia: USGS. Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5012.
  30. ^ Cheng, Weiming; Zhou, Chenghu; Li, Jianxin (2005). Research on evolution of Manas Lakes in Xinjiang over last 50 years (PDF). International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
  31. ^ Yao, Yonghui; Li, Huiguo (2010), "Tectonic geomorphological characteristics for evolution of the Manas Lake", Journal of Arid Land, 2 (3): 167–173, doi:10.3724/SP.J.1227.2010.00167
  32. ^ "Quick Facts About Mono Lake". Mono Lake Committee. Archived from the original on 2019-08-20. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  33. ^ "South Australia seeks more Murray River flow from upstream states to fight Lake Albert salinity". ABC Online. 2014-09-02.
  34. ^ Morelli, J (1995). "Search result for 'The Coorong, Lake Alexandrina & Lake Albert – SA063'". Australian Wetland Database. Australian government. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  35. ^ Ker, Peter (2011-01-25). "Parched lake may end 15-year dry". The Age. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
  36. ^ O’Sullivan, Arieh (October 24, 1993). "Pioneering Israelis Parted the 'Sea,' but It Proved an Ecological Mistake : Mideast: Zionists drained a lake and wetlands 40 years ago, transforming a swamp into the Hula Valley. But few crops grew well here, and pollution followed". Associated press.
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