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+--- Thread: Article The worst-case scenario for drought on the Colorado River (/thread-14011.html)
The worst-case scenario for drought on the Colorado River - C C - Apr 26, 2023
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23670139/colorado-river-drought-lake-mead-climate-change-water-cuts
EXCERPT: . . . The Colorado River is one of the most heavily engineered waterways in the world, and past decisions and ongoing withdrawals are exacerbating the drying. From a miscalculation of the water available to begin with, to failing to account for evaporation, to prioritizing irrigation for cattle feed above people, policies are arguably the biggest driver of water shortages in the West. The rules around water sharing have created a political crisis as states debate how to allocate the dribs and drabs of what’s left.
This year, an unusually wet winter has provided much-needed respite for the Colorado River Basin. Two-thirds of the river’s annual flow starts as snow in the Rocky Mountains, and snow levels are well-above what’s typical for this time of year. That has relieved some pressure and bought time, but it’s nowhere near enough to fill the deficit.
Earlier this month, the federal government outlined its plans to impose water cuts if states along the river don’t agree to their own reductions. The proposal considers three scenarios. One of them would force equal cutbacks among the states, overturning the longstanding “first in time, first in right” water allocation system.
Looking at the past and the future, scientists warn that the drought could still carry on, especially as the climate changes. The key question now is how much worse can the situation get? The answer depends on natural weather variability, how much more humanity changes the climate, and how people respond to the crisis now. So it behooves all the thirsty souls along the drying river to prepare for a world with less to drink and reckon with what it means to survive in the West... (MORE - missing details)