A great blue heron is visible at the diminishing waters of Lake Isabella, which is at 13% capacity and falling, on July 12, 2021 near California , California. Authorities are bracing for a predicted driest year on record for the Kern River, carrying only about a quarter of the average Sierra snowmelt water to Lake Isabella. Large portions of the West are now in the most extreme drought category and fire officials are warning of another devastating wildfire season in California.