The Colorado River Basin, like much of the southwestern U.S., is experiencing a drought so historic—it began in 1999—that it’s been called a megadrought. In the basin, whose river provides water to seven states and Mexico, that drought is the product of warming temperatures and reduced precipitation, especially in the form of winter snow. While the warming trend has been conclusively linked to human activities driving climate change, the cause of the waning precipitation wasn’t as clear. Now, however, Jonathan Overpeck of the University of Michigan and Brad Udall of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University are convinced that anthropogenic climate change is the culprit as well.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• University of Colorado, Boulder: Report: Colorado River Insights, 2025
• Phoenix Business Journal: Coalition of Arizona business groups calls for equitable sharing of Colorado River cuts
• KVNF (Paonia, Colo.): Environmental impact to Gunnison and Colorado Rivers under investigation after Union Pacific derailment