Colorado River Basin Water Use Explained

The Colorado River, which arises in Rocky Mountain National Park near the Continental Divide of North America, is tasked with quenching the thirst of 40 million people as well as plants, animals, fish, and wildlife in seven states and Northern Mexico.

Where does water in the vast Colorado River Basin go? A new survey from the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University answers this question comprehensively. The report takes into account all uses of the water, including for the first time evaporation from waterways as well as reservoirs and lakes.

The results were surprising. Most people assume that the population growth of the cities in Colorado, Arizona, and California are leading in the drying up of the river's waters. In contrast, it is agriculture that receives the lion's share. The report concludes: "Irrigated agriculture is the dominant consumer of water from the Colorado River." 


The report further breaks down agricultural uses into crops. The Upper Basin grows many crops such as onions, sugar beets, sunflowers, and millet. But these don't comprise the majority of water uses. "Cattle-feed crops consume 90% of all water used by irrigated agriculture within the Upper Basin, where the consumed volume associated with these cattle-feed crops amounts to more than three times what is consumed for municipal, commercial, or industrial uses combined," says the report.

Sixty-two percent of agricultural water consumption overall goes to alfalfa and grass hay production, the report emphasizes. Water consumption in the Upper Basin will need to be decreased by about 30 percent in order to stabilize the reservoirs, such as Lakes Powell and Mead, whose water levels are falling rapidly. Even more decreases will be needed to compensate for climate change so that the Colorado River can once again reach the sea.

This information is from:

Richter, B.D., Lamsal, G., Marston, L. et al. New water accounting reveals why the Colorado River no longer reaches the sea. Commun Earth Environ 5, 134 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01291-0

 

Comments

  1. LeeOctober 30, 2024 at 12:12 PM

    Good news! A total of $450 million is being made available for major water projects in the Upper River Basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico and Utah. Only governmental and tribal entities can apply and the funding starts at $300,000. This is a good opportunity to partner with others to make significant change happen! https://coloradosun.com/2024/07/29/colorado-water-officials-dream-big-team-up-after-feds-drop-450-million-for-water-projects/#:~:text=The%20Trust%20Project&text=The%20federal%20government%20has%20planned,re%20planning%20to%20dream%20big.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LeeOctober 30, 2024 at 12:14 PM

      Correction: Public or tribal entities can apply.

      Delete
  2. LeeOctober 30, 2024 at 12:32 PM

    If you'd like to see the types of usages and crops, check out this table from the journal Nature that breaks them all out: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-024-01291-0/tables/1

    ReplyDelete

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