Report: Warming climate could hasten Colorado River depletion

The Colorado River near Page, Arizona (Credit: Adrille, via Wikimedia Commons)

A report published by the American Meteorological Society warns that a warming climate may lead to the depletion of the Colorado River, according to a Nature World News article.

The report was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Studies and NOAA. Conflicting prior research compelled the organizations to work together in hopes of achieving more conclusive information about the river’s future.

Study of recent scientific papers regarding the river led the team to a clear conclusion: “It’s likely that we’re going to see a reduction in overall flow in the Colorado [river],” said Bradley Udall, one of the report’s co-authors.

More than 30 million people rely on the Colorado River as a water source.

Image: The Colorado River near Page, Arizona (Credit: Adrille, via Wikimedia Commons)