25 Photos Show Severity Of California Drought Conditions

The current state of California reservoirs depicts deepening droughts amid one of the hottest summers to date. While the Golden State is no stranger to droughts, this time around is especially unsettling as reservoirs show dry conditions that haven't been seen since 1967-77.

According to U.S. Drought Monitor, at least 16 percent of California is in exceptional drought, the most severe level of dryness, reports AP News. On top of that, the state is experiencing a heat wave that is not of the norm for June with temperatures continuing to rise. As a result, state officials have issued mandatory water-use restrictions across various counties and even predict a potential shutdown for of the main hydroelectric power plants.

See photos below, taken over the last few months, showing the severe conditions of some of California's biggest reservoirs.

In an aerial view, a tire is wedged between cracks in dry earth at Nicasio Reservoir on June 16, 2021 in Nicasio, California.

Marin County is under mandatory water-use restrictions that orders residents to refrain from washing cars at home, refilling pools and watering lawns once a week. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, at least 16 percent of California is in exceptional drought, the most severe level of dryness.

Workers with the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) fill buckets with drought information and water saving tools during a "Drought Drive Up" event at the MMWD headquarters on June 12, 2021 in Corte Madera, California.

As Marin County faces a severe drought emergency, the Marin Municipal Water District held a drought drive up event where water saving tools were passed out to residents.

In an aerial view, houseboats sit anchored at the Bidwell Canyon Marina on Lake Oroville on June 01, 2021 in Oroville, California.

As water levels continue to fall at Lake Oroville, officials are flagging houseboats that are anchored on the lake for removal to avoid being stuck or damaged. Lake Oroville is currently at 38 percent of normal capacity.

Dry banks rise above water in Lake Oroville on Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Oroville, California.

To the left are trees scorched in the 2020 North Complex Fire. At the time of this photo, the reservoir was at 39 percent of capacity and 46 percent of its historical average.

A family camps on a dry riverbed at Shasta Lake on Monday, May 24, 2021, in Shasta Trinity National Forest, California.

At the time of this photo, the reservoir was at 45 percent of capacity and 52 percent of its historical average.

A home destroyed in the 2020 North Complex Fire sits above Lake Oroville on Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Oroville, California.

At the time of this photo, the reservoir was at 39 percent of capacity and 46 percent of its historical average.

California officials say the drought gripping the U.S. West is so severe it could cause one of the state's most important reservoirs to reach historic lows by late August, closing most boat ramps and shutting down a hydroelectric power plant during the peak demand of the hottest part of the summer.

A man fishes on the banks of Shasta Lake on Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Shasta Trinity National Forest, California.

A boat crosses Lake Oroville below trees scorched in the 2020 North Complex Fire, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Oroville, California.

A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville's dry banks Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Oroville, California.

People walk near boat docks as they sit on dry land at the Browns Ravine Cove area of drought-stricken Folsom Lake, currently at 37% of its normal capacity, in Folsom, California, Saturday, May 22, 2021.

At this point, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency for most of the state.

A launch ramp, extended to accommodate low water levels, stretches into Lake Oroville on Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Oroville, California.

Weeds sprout from a boat launch ramp, which rests far above the water line at Lake Oroville on Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Oroville, California.

Empty boat docks sit on dry land at the Browns Ravine Cove area of drought-stricken Folsom Lake, currently at 37% of its normal capacity, in Folsom, California, Saturday, May 22, 2021.

A car crosses Enterprise Bridge over Lake Oroville's dry banks Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Oroville, California.

A boat crosses Lake Oroville below trees scorched in the 2020 North Complex Fire, Sunday, May 23, 2021, in Oroville, California.

Dry hillsides surround Lake Oroville on Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Oroville, California.

A boat crosses Lake Oroville beneath a dry hillside Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Oroville, California.

At the time of this photo, the reservoir was at 39 percent of capacity and 46 percent of its historical average.

In an aerial view, boat docks sitting on dry land at the Browns Ravine Cove area of drought-stricken Folsom Lake, currently at 37% of the normal capacity, in Folsom, California, Saturday, May 22, 2021.

Trees scorched in the 2020 North Complex Fire stand above Lake Oroville on Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Oroville, California.

Kayakers navigate a narrow section of water near boat docks sitting on dry land at the Browns Ravine Cove area of drought-stricken Folsom Lake, shown above at 37% of its normal capacity, in Folsom, California, Saturday, May 22, 2021.

Surrounded by dry hillsides, a houseboat floats on Lake Oroville on Saturday, May 22, 2021, in Oroville, California.

An aerial view shows drought-stricken Stevens Creek Reservoir, shown above at 18% capacity, in Cupertino, California, Thursday, May 20, 2021.

Kayakers make a long trek to the water's edge at a drought-stricken Lake Mendocino, shown above at 29% of normal capacity, in Ukiah, California, Sunday, May 23, 2021.

Cattle graze at the ranch of John Guthrie, 52, president of the Tulare County Farm Bureau and owner of a cattle ranch and farm that has been in his family for 150 years, in southeast Tulare County on Thursday, April 22, 2021 in Porterville, California.

Guthrie is a sixth generation rancher raising beef cattle. A deepening drought and new regulations are causing some California growers to consider an end to farming.

AP News contributed to this post.