Dramatic Photos of America's Drought

Ronnie Sharp, left, and Brandy Birdwell of Imperial Painting, spray turf paint on a drought-ravaged lawn in Indianapolis July 20. Without cutting, the color will last four to six months.

A cow seeks out water in a drought-stricken pond near Paoli, Okla., July 26.

Boats sit on the cracked bottom of a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., July 16. 

Drought-damaged corn near Brownville, Neb., July 26.

A field of dried corn near Percival, Iowa, July 26.

Dried corn surrounds a barn near Nebraska City, Neb., July 26.

Boats sit on the bottom of a dry cove at Morse Reservoir in Noblesville, Ind., July 16.

Aerial views of drought-affected Colorado farmlands 76 miles east of Denver July 21.

Justin Espe unloads bags of ice into coolers so horse-show competitors and their horses can keep cool at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., July 25.

Cattle graze in a dry field near Calumet, Okla., July 20.

A cow wades into a drying pond with algae in a pasture near Tonganoxie, Kan., July 24.

The last remaining water in a drought-stricken rural pond reflects the sky and clouds near Calumet, Okla., July 20.

Cattle seek refuge from the heat under a tree near Wayne, Okla., July 26.

Barges push up the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, Miss., July 26. The riverbed, sand and sand bars in the background are usually underwater. 

Two barges pass each other on the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, Miss., July 26. The river has dropped to low levels -- unlike last year, when the river was flooding much of the Delta due to record high levels. The exposed sand, sand bars and riverbeds have caused traffic to slow to a crawl.

Dry corn in a drought-distressed field near Edmond, Okla., July 20.