The Colorado River is evaporating, and climate change is largely to blame

[JonLP24]

An hour’s drive from Las Vegas stands America’s Hoover Dam, a commanding barrier of concrete holding back the trillions of gallons of Colorado River water held inside Lake Mead.

The dam is a proud place, built by thousands of hands and with 5 million barrels of concrete. Its golden elevator doors, Gotham-esque pillars, and stoic guardian angel statues line the lofty walkways atop the structure. A U.S. flag beating patriotically over the desert gets swapped out every few days, and then put out for sale in the visitor center.

Yet, in the 80 years since the great dam’s completion, the 1,450-mile Colorado River – which sustains some 40 million Americans in places like Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles -- has been gradually growing weaker, and the water level beyond the noble dam has fallen considerably over the last two decades. The writing is easily spotted on the steep rocky walls of the Lake Mead reservoir, where a bathtub-like ring shows where the water once sat during more fruitful times.

Today, however, the water sits 150-feet below that line, and human-caused climate change is a major reason why.

https://mashable.com/article/colorado-river-drought-global-warming.amp?__twitter_impression=true

[donkeypoofed]

1. OMG, 150 ft ?!?!?!!!!! Oh no.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. I was at Hoover Dam in 2005.......

And you could tell where there were various water levels. That part of the country is going to dry up. Hoover Dam provides hydro electricity to tens of millions of people.

Same thing with the Rio Grande, especially at the Gorge outside Taos, NM.

[procon]

3. People who move to desert towns insist on lush green lawns, cities

install lovely green spaces for eye appeal to impress the tourists, taking huge amounts of water. I live in the Mojave desert and stupid local municipal laws still demand that homeowners maintain a green front lawn despite the fact that the only water source comes from a dwindling aquifer.

[Wounded Bear]

6. Don't forget all of the golf courses...

[Jim Lane]

4. The increased demand is a bigger issue than decreased supply

I understand that the article was addressing evaporation (with a mention of rainfall patterns). Still, it's worth adding that population growth is causing increased demand for Colorado River water.

If someone could wave a magic wand, arrest and even reverse climate change, and completely stabilize the amount of water entering the river system, it would be nothing more than a temporary solution. The demand will outstrip the supply unless population is also stabilized.

[hunter]

7. The Colorado River hasn't reached the ocean for a long time.

Urban growth is using water previously diverted for agriculture or landscaping.

As population grows, agriculture has been displaced entirely, or it's become more efficient; dirt canals have been lined, drip irrigation has replaced flooded furrows, etc..

So long as humans have been able to capture 100% of the Colorado River, we've used near 100% of it. Demand can't exceed supply.

How we cope with reduced supply will be interesting politics. Urban users will be the last to suffer. Most of the winter salad crop in the U.S.A. is grown in the desert using Colorado River water. Winter lettuce is likely to get expensive as it will have to be grown in greenhouses or be imported from places where there is water.

[Jim Lane]

8. You're right about the politics of it.

As the saying goes, "In the American West, water flows uphill to money."

[MineralMan]

5. The tour inside the dam is more than worth the modest cost!

If you are ever in Las Vegas, take the trip and take the tour. It's amazing. The best part of all is being able to crawl down a narrow passage to the rear of the dam and look down its face. For me, anyhow, that was the best part.