Lake Urmia was once the sixth-largest saltwater lake on the planet with a surface area of 2,000 square miles (5,200 square km), but by 2017 had shrunk to 10% of its original size due to drought and damming of inflow rivers. Located in northwestern Iran, water levels rose once again in 2019 and continued in 2020 due to above average precipitation and the efforts of a restoration program.