What will happen to the Colorado River?
Picture:
http://discovermagazine.com/2014/jan-feb/67-colorado-river-in-droughts-grip
According to last year's water levels, it seems that if the serious drought in Colorado continues, the river could be in danger of drying up. The water levels were the lowest they had been in over 1,200 years. If the drought does happen to continue, the people that live in towns along the southern half of the river could be in major trouble. That river alone supplies many towns with a majority of their water. The picture above shows the drop in water levels from 2000 (above), to 2013 (below). Many people that go to the Hoover Dam and look from the lake's edge will see rings that resemble bathtub rings all too well. It has been stated that the water has dropped 130 feet since the year 2000.
Picture:
http://discovermagazine.com/2014/jan-feb/67-colorado-river-in-droughts-grip
According to last year's water levels, it seems that if the serious drought in Colorado continues, the river could be in danger of drying up. The water levels were the lowest they had been in over 1,200 years. If the drought does happen to continue, the people that live in towns along the southern half of the river could be in major trouble. That river alone supplies many towns with a majority of their water. The picture above shows the drop in water levels from 2000 (above), to 2013 (below). Many people that go to the Hoover Dam and look from the lake's edge will see rings that resemble bathtub rings all too well. It has been stated that the water has dropped 130 feet since the year 2000.
Picture: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-colorado-river-runs-dry-61427169/?no-ist
The water levels of the Colorado River used to be much higher than they are right now. People started running water from the river to different towns/states for their main supply of water in the 1920's and has since, with the help of the drought, lowered the water levels incredibly fast. The Bureau of Reclamation is the company that controls how the water is divided up and controls the dams, and after the winter snow melts they are hoping to check the water levels to figure out where to go from here. This year alone (2014), they had to announce something never before heard of in the western states; they were going to reduce the limit of water released from Lake Powell. It has been said that many of the reservoirs that are fed by the Colorado River will never reach full capacity again.
Photo: http://www.ecobuddhism.org/science/c_e/fdtc/
A few of the states affected by the drought are southern California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah. Everyone there is seeing the effects of what their lifestyle has done to the water levels. States have used water from the Colorado River to irrigate many of their crops. The water is expected to drop another 20 feet this year alone. That could be absolutely detrimental to the western states; both the crops and millions of people. Many marinas and swimming spots have had to be moved out farther because of how drastically the water levels have dropped in such a short amount of time. The marinas are soon going to be irrelevant if we don't start conserving water better all around the country, and world for that matter.
My opinion on the water shortages is that it could have been prevented, or at least postponed for multiple years. People are the major influence and we cannot deny that part, if not most of the blame is on us. We should have noticed the tremendous change in water levels sooner and came up with ways to save water, but once the drought began, there was going to be a large, inevitable drop in water. Rivers, including the Colorado River, and many others, are the main sources of water for people everywhere, and all we have done ever since we determined the importance of them is abuse them. Everyone should accept that this is our fault and come together to save what water we have left and make a difference in the world; one that is positive rather than negative. All we have done lately is make negative changes, maybe for once we should clean up the disaster we have created.
Cites:
The water levels of the Colorado River used to be much higher than they are right now. People started running water from the river to different towns/states for their main supply of water in the 1920's and has since, with the help of the drought, lowered the water levels incredibly fast. The Bureau of Reclamation is the company that controls how the water is divided up and controls the dams, and after the winter snow melts they are hoping to check the water levels to figure out where to go from here. This year alone (2014), they had to announce something never before heard of in the western states; they were going to reduce the limit of water released from Lake Powell. It has been said that many of the reservoirs that are fed by the Colorado River will never reach full capacity again.
Photo: http://www.ecobuddhism.org/science/c_e/fdtc/
A few of the states affected by the drought are southern California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah. Everyone there is seeing the effects of what their lifestyle has done to the water levels. States have used water from the Colorado River to irrigate many of their crops. The water is expected to drop another 20 feet this year alone. That could be absolutely detrimental to the western states; both the crops and millions of people. Many marinas and swimming spots have had to be moved out farther because of how drastically the water levels have dropped in such a short amount of time. The marinas are soon going to be irrelevant if we don't start conserving water better all around the country, and world for that matter.
My opinion on the water shortages is that it could have been prevented, or at least postponed for multiple years. People are the major influence and we cannot deny that part, if not most of the blame is on us. We should have noticed the tremendous change in water levels sooner and came up with ways to save water, but once the drought began, there was going to be a large, inevitable drop in water. Rivers, including the Colorado River, and many others, are the main sources of water for people everywhere, and all we have done ever since we determined the importance of them is abuse them. Everyone should accept that this is our fault and come together to save what water we have left and make a difference in the world; one that is positive rather than negative. All we have done lately is make negative changes, maybe for once we should clean up the disaster we have created.
Cites:
- http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-colorado-river-runs-dry-61427169/?no-ist
- http://discovermagazine.com/2014/jan-feb/67-colorado-river-in-droughts-grip
- http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/colorado-river-drought-holds-s/30029304