SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The water levels at the Great Salt Lake have hit a historic low, a grim milestone for the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River.

On Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey announced average daily water levels had dropped about an inch below the previous record of 4,191.4 feet, which was set in 1963.

The new record comes months earlier than when the lake typically hits its lowest level of the year. This indicates that water levels could continue to drop even further.

The drought is drying up lakes across the West and worsening massive wildfires affecting California and Oregon. Extreme conditions like these are often from a combination of unusual random, short-term and natural weather patterns heightened by long-term, human-caused climate change.