During the peak of the 2025 Los Angeles fires, approximately 7 million residents were exposed to airborne lead concentrations over 24 hours that exceeded 80 times the normal background level.
By drying up waterfalls earlier than usual, climate change is directly hurting regional tourism, which local residents and surrounding communities rely on for their livelihoods.
As drought deepens, groups are pushing to drain Lake Powell entirely to reveal its long-submerged rock arches and spires and allow wildlife along the Colorado River to recover.
