Author: Kevin Moran Nancy Smith

The Colorado River can be a model for climate resilience — but only if we make it one

Source(s): The Hill

The Colorado River Basin is ground zero for climate change in the United States. In portions of Colorado and Utah, temperatures have risen at a rate of double the global average. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s most recent report only confirms the widespread and acute effects of climate change that the basin is already experiencing. The Southwest is in the midst of a historic megadrought and the Colorado River's flows have declined by 20 percent over the last century. Looking ahead, scientists predict that the river's flows could shrink by as much as 31 percent by 2050. 

The basin is already in uncharted territory. Earlier this week, the Bureau of Reclamation (which operates the Colorado River Basin’s extensive federal infrastructure) issued its reservoir projections for the river’s two largest facilities: Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Based on these projections, the Bureau of Reclamation  will operate Lake Mead under a Tier 1 shortage condition for the first time, triggering mandatory water cutbacks for Arizona, Nevada and Mexico in 2022. Lake Powell isn’t any better off. In July, the bureau implemented emergency releases from other reservoirs to help maintain water levels at Lake Powell. While both are firsts for the river, they are not likely to be the last. And both will have ripple effects across the basin.

[...]

The good news is there are strategies that — if invested in and scaled up — could have huge benefits for the Colorado River Basin. These include reducing water use across sectors, modernizing infrastructure, improving forest health, enhancing natural infrastructure and improving stream and river health. 

[...]

These initiatives are a critical start, but to make lasting and long-term changes we need even more of them. We must shift our thinking from managing water supply and demand in the context of temporary drought to managing the reality of a permanently more arid climate. 

[...]

Explore further

Country and region United States of America
Share this

Please note: Content is displayed as last posted by a PreventionWeb community member or editor. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of UNDRR, PreventionWeb, or its sponsors. See our terms of use

Is this page useful?

Yes No Report an issue on this page

Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window).