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September 28th, 2026
Daily puzzle · Easy · Standard map
Theme: Lakes That Vanished or Are Vanishing
Each of these bodies of water was once far larger, only to shrink or nearly disappear due to diversion, climate shifts, or drainage. The Aral Sea's collapse after Soviet irrigation projects left rusting ships stranded on dry seabed. Lake Poopó in Bolivia dried up entirely in 2015, while Lake Urmia and Lake Chad have each lost most of their historic surface area within living memory. Owens Lake became a dusty basin after Los Angeles diverted its feeder river a century ago.
1
Aral Sea, UzbekistanOnce the world's fourth-largest lake, it has shrunk drastically since the 1960s due to river diversion for irrigation.
2
Lake Chad, ChadThis shallow lake bordering four countries has lost most of its surface area since the 1960s.
3
Lake Urmia, IranOnce one of the largest salt lakes on Earth, it has shrunk severely due to dam construction and drought.
4
Owens Lake, CaliforniaThis lake in California's Owens Valley dried up after its water was diverted to Los Angeles in the early 1900s.
5
Lake Poopó, BoliviaOnce Bolivia's second-largest lake, it dried up completely in 2015 amid drought and upstream water diversion.