"What was once a mighty river flowing from Colorado through the Grand Canyon all the way down to the Gulf of California in Mexico has been reduced to a trickle that barely reaches the ocean. Experts warn the river basin is at a breaking point, jeopardizing water security for major cities such as Los Angeles and Denver, harming endangered fish species, and putting some of the largest food producers in the US at risk."
"Lakes Mead and Powell, the river's largest reservoirs, are critically low, a product of prolonged drought and rising temperatures. If water levels fall further, hydropower generation at the Hoover and Glen Canyon dams could be curtailed, threatening energy supply and recreation. "The ultimate cause of the problem in the Colorado River is a warming climate," Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University, told DW."
The Colorado River has been drastically reduced to a trickle and barely reaches the Gulf of California. Prolonged drought and rising temperatures have driven Lakes Mead and Powell to critically low levels. About 40 million people across seven US states and Mexico depend on the river for water, with roughly half allocated to agriculture and 18% to cities and industry. Falling reservoir levels threaten hydropower generation at Hoover and Glen Canyon dams, energy supply, recreation, endangered fish species, and major food producers. The basin could face a shortfall equivalent to 1.8 million Olympic swimming pools and contentious post-2026 water-sharing negotiations.
Read at www.dw.com
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