The Colorado River is in crisis. And it’s getting worse every day
It is a powerhouse: a 1,450-mile waterway that stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Sea of Cortez, serving 40 million people in seven U.S. states, 30 federally recognized tribes and Mexico. It hydrates 5 million acres of agricultural land and provides critical habitat for rare fish, birds and plants. But the Colorado’s water was overpromised when it was first allocated a century ago. Demand in the fast-growing Southwest exceeds supply, and it is growing even as supply drops amid a climate change-driven megadrought and rising temperatures. States and cities are now scrambling to forestall the gravest impacts to growth, farming, drinking water and electricity, while also aiming to protect their own interests.
Related articles:
- The Associated Press: Lake Powell to retain water to protect hydropower
- KUNC: Listen - Climate experts worry about water supplies in Colorado River; a conversation with ‘Life on the Grocery Line’ author Adam Kaat
- Ten Across: Podcast – Getting honest about the Colorado River crisis with Anne Castle and John Fleck
- jfleck at inkstain: Sure, dead bodies in Lake Mead, whatever. I remain optimistic.
- Nevada Current:What is dead pool? A water expert explains