How 40 million people depend on the Colorado River?
How 40 million people depend on the Colorado River? Some 40 million people depend on the Colorado for water. But the West's most important river is predicted to shrink up to 30 percent or more by mid-century because of rising temperatures caused, in part, by the very fossil fuels extracted from its Utah watershed.
What happens if the Colorado River dries up?
If the water levels dip much lower, the Colorado's northernmost reservoir won't have enough in the tank to both fill Lake Mead downstream and generate any hydropower, which would have devastating effects on the electricity grid in the western US.
How much does Colorado rely on the Colorado River?
Colorado receives 40% of its water supply from the Colorado River.
Does Colorado rely on the Colorado River for water?
Colorado receives 40% of its water supply from the Colorado River.
Where does 90% of the water in the Colorado River come from?
About 85–90 percent of the Colorado River's discharge originates in melting snowpack from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming. The three major upper tributaries of the Colorado – the snow-fed Gunnison, Green, and San Juan – alone deliver almost 9 million acre-feet (11 km3) per year to the main stem.
What is the biggest problem with the Colorado River today?
The Colorado River is drying up due to a combination of chronic overuse of water resources and a historic drought. The dry period has lasted more than two decades, spurred by a warming climate primarily due to humans burning fossil fuels.