… Across Colorado, the snowpack peaked lower in major river basins than the 30-year median, according to federal data from 1991 to 2020. The peaks were often earlier than usual, and the snowpack is melting quickly — several weeks earlier than the norm in some areas. Water managers and climatologists are hoping for a rainy May and active summer thunderstorm season. In dry years, farmers and ranchers can be short on irrigation water in late summer. Reservoirs can have less extra water to carry over into the next year. Fish and aquatic ecosystems can suffer with less water in warmer rivers. Water managers across the desert Southwest are in similar situations. Western Colorado is a key water source for the Colorado River Basin, where rivers and streams send water into an immense reservoir, Lake Powell.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• The Land Desk: Blog: Dust is melting Colorado River snows