When the wetlands aren't wet: Drought in the Reservoir

Gallery of nature pics taken in Barker Reservoir in hot & dry conditions in mid and late Summer. Compared to the extreme drought last year (2011), which also saw large swaths of grassland and trees in Bush Park turned to ashes by wildfire, there is still a lot of greenery this year. The areas shown were under water several times already this year. Look at the last picture from mid-July for comparison.

Reservoir grounds that are periodically inundated, but totally dry
in this picture taken in September 2012

Dry creekbed turns into a trail

Mud tower

Wetlands area with a few green grass stalks

Snail digging in as the bottom of the reservoir dries up

Debris that prior floodings and water movement left in their wake

Soil at low elevation spot in the reservoir shows cracks after drying up

And this is how this part of the reservoir looked only a couple of months ago:

George Bush Park partially submerged in waters retained by Barker Dam after heavy rain (June 16, 2012)