Colorado River forecast warns that just one-third of normal water could flow to Lake Powell

Colorado River forecast warns that just one-third of normal water could flow to Lake Powell

As a record-hot winter continues across much of the West, forecasters are dialing back estimates for how much water will flow into the Colorado River during the spring runoff. The latest models show that the Colorado River is projected to deliver only about 2.3 million acre feet of water — about one-third of normal — to Lake Powell, the nation’s second-largest reservoir, this summer. Colorado River Basin Forecast Center hydrologist Cody Moser sa…

Mild winter imperils water supply for the American West - The Iola Register

Snowpack this past winter in the upper Colorado River basin was just 59% of its 30-year average due to the hottest temperatures in 131 years. We live in an era of compounding climate disasters. Hurricanes lead to power failures that make heat waves more miserable. Heat waves harden the ground and make flooding worse. The Colorado River might be about to deliver the most complex multilevel train wreck of all. The river, which serves 40 million pe…