New research examines how much global warming has sapped the Colorado River since 2000. It shows the region has lost more water than Lake Mead can hold.
Bass said he was surprised to see how sensitive the Colorado River Basin is to warming compared to other watersheds in the western U.S. He called it “a wake-up call to the climate change impacts we are living today.”
The authors focused on how warming has affected the river’s flow, saying the exceptional warmth since 2000 has compounded a decrease in precipitation “primarily driven by natural variability.” They didn’t evaluate how much of the decrease in precipitation might be driven by climate change, and suggested that’s an important area for additional research.
If the declines in precipitation are being driven partly by climate change, which appears likely, the effects on the river could be more extreme in the coming decades, Overpeck said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Mystery of the Colorado River’s Missing WaterSnow is falling—but it doesn’t show up to replenish the river. In a drying West, researchers are racing to find out where it goes.
Read more »
The Dish: Seven new restaurant openings, and two new pastry chefs make their debutsThis week's San Diego County dining and drinking report
Read more »
How wildfires are threatening Colorado water supplies — and costing lots of moneyThe Colorado River this spring ran high, fast and so full of sediment pushed downstream from wildfire burn scars that the water treatment plant in Hot Sulphur Springs couldn’t keep up.
Read more »
New Brockton names new women’s basketball coachHarbuck has been involved in New Brockton athletics since 2018 as a youth basketball coach and youth sports director.
Read more »