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Drought

May 15, 2012--The Colorado River and Big Daddy drought (High Country News)

It's not news to any of us that most of the West is in drought, that we're using more water each year than snowfall and rain replenish, that one of our biggest watersheds, the Colorado River Basin is overallocated and its reservoirs are slowly silting up. A few numbers give a sense of what we're facing:


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May 10, 2012--Water usage far exceed sustainability level in the desert southwest, US (Science Daily)

The American West has a 'drinking problem.' On farms and in cities, we are guzzling water at an alarming rate. Scientists say that to live sustainably, we should use no more than 40 percent of the water from the Colorado River Basin. As it is now, we use 76 percent, nearly double the sustainable benchmark.

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May 9, 2012--Spring runoff low, but reservoirs high (Vail Daily)

The spring runoff will be the lowest in a decade and maybe the lowest in recorded history, say scientists keeping a wary eye on Colorado's snowpack. Warm weather in April shrank the statewide snowpack from 52 percent of average to just 19 percent, according to the latest statistics from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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May 9. 2012--Key reservoirs unlikely to fill this year (Summit Voice)

Recent forecasts by water experts suggest that stream flows could drop below levels seen in 2002, the last major Colorado drought.

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May 7, 2012--Snow drought that hammered ski resorts now targets farmers (USA Today)

The dearth of snow that set back Colorado's ski areas this winter is nowtaking its toll on farmers. It could cost farmers millions of dollars and translate to higher prices for consumers. Snow runoff traditionally fills up the ditches and ponds that farmers tap to irrigate crops. Not this year.


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May 4, 2012--Drought means triage for endangered Colorado River fish (Summit Voice)

With 2012 shaping up to be at least a near-record drought year in the high country, some of the Colorado River’s endangered native fish could be facing a battle for survival, especially in key tributaries like the Yampa, in northwestern Colorado.


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May 2, 2012--Low snowpack sets records (Telluride Daily Planet)

High temperatures and dry weather conditions this spring have left snowpack levels in southwestern Colorado at historic lows. According to data from the Colorado Snow Survey, snowpack levels reported Tuesday for the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan river basins were sitting at 29 percent of average. Statewide, the snowpack is at 25 percent of average.


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April 30, 2012--Low snowpack means a dry summer for the West (High Country News)

The winter of 2012 produced more apocalyptic records than hip-hop MCs on the eve of Y2K. March was the warmest on record for the Lower 48, averaging 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average. In the West, La Niña predictably soaked and chilled the Northwest while leaving the Southwest warm and dry.


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April 27, 2012--Dry winter delivers a drought (Durango Herald)

Alot of Western Colorado has been in drought mode since the beginning of the year, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Thursday. “It’s not as severe as in 2002, but drought is expanding and becoming more intense,” Jim Pringle said during a stop at The Durango Herald.


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April 26, 2012--Colorado rivers, streams may get boost from lease of water rights (Denver Post)

Looming drought has prompted a new push to prevent harm to streams and rivers: temporarily leasing water normally diverted to household taps, farms and ranchland and letting t


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