Super El Niño unlikely to resolve Colorado River water crisis
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
The Colorado River, which supplies water to 40 million people across seven US states, is at a crisis point as its two largest reservoirs, Lakes Mead and Powell, hit record low levels this month. A super El Niño may bring increased rain and snowfall to the southwestern US this winter, but experts caution that even a healthy snowpack would not solve the river's long-term problems. The crisis is compounded by a century-old water rights compact that expires at the end of this year, with states missing deadlines to reach a new agreement.
Key Facts
- Lakes Mead and Powell, the two largest reservoirs in the US, hit record low levels this month: Lake Powell at 3,519.4 feet and Lake Mead at 1,039.6 feet.
- The Colorado River provides water for 40 million people across seven states.
- A century-old compact dictating water rights from the river expires at the end of this year, and states have missed several deadlines to reach a new agreement.
- Lake Powell will reach deadpool at 3,370 feet and Lake Mead at 895 feet, at which point water can no longer flow downstream.
- The current El Niño is shaping up to be the strongest on record and may bring increased rain and snowfall to the southwestern US this winter and spring.
Reservoir Crisis
Lake Powell was at 3,519.4 feet and Lake Mead at 1,039.6 feet on Thursday, their lowest levels on record. Both reservoirs will hit deadpool at certain levels—3,370 feet for Lake Powell and 895 feet for Lake Mead—meaning water can no longer flow downstream. Hydropower from dams on both reservoirs will be affected or go offline entirely even earlier. A winter of record-breaking warm temperatures and some of the lowest snowpack on record in multiple states led to an incredibly dry season for the Colorado.
El Niño Outlook
The current El Niño is shaping up to be the strongest one of its kind in recorded history. It may bring increased rain and snowfall to the southwestern United States this winter and spring. Experts caution that even a best-case scenario with a healthy snowpack would be no match for the longer-term problems plaguing the river. John Berggren, a policy manager at Western Resource Advocates, said, "People have talked about the Colorado River crisis for decades—we’re now in it."
Political Deadlock
A century-old compact dictating water rights from the river runs out at the end of this year. States have missed several deadlines to figure out who gets what in the future, requiring the federal government to step in. The river has been over-allocated for decades to thirsty industries like agriculture. The Colorado River is fed primarily by snowmelt from the Upper Basin states—Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming—and supplies the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona, and Nevada.
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Super El Niño unlikely to resolve Colorado River water crisis
