"Colorado River's Alarming Water Loss: A Dire Consequence of the Climate Crisis"
The Colorado River basin, which provides water to 40 million people in the US west, has lost over 10 trillion gallons of water since 2000 due to the climate crisis, according to new research. This volume of water loss is equivalent to the entire storage capacity of Lake Mead or 15 billion Olympic-sized swimming pools. The region has been experiencing a "megadrought" exacerbated by climate change, leading to the first federally declared water shortage. Rising temperatures have caused a 10.3% reduction in water runoff, with snow-covered areas losing water at twice the rate of snowless regions. Structural changes and greenhouse gas emissions reduction are needed to sustain the river in the long run.