Drought cycles are getting worse due to climate change caused by human activity. Huge concern for the Colorado River which has significantly reduced its waters
Some US states and Mexico will be forced to reduce water consumption in order to avoid “disastrous” effects on river Coloradoas the region is facing an unprecedented drought, the US federal government announced yesterday Tuesday.
After more than two decades of reduced rainfall, the water level of the Colorado River – vital to the western US states – has dropped to an alarming degree. Drought cycles are getting worse due to climate change caused by human activity.
Despite years of warnings, states that depend on the river have not sufficiently reduced water consumption, prompting federal authorities to impose restrictions yesterday.
“In order to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River and an uncertain future (…) water use in the valley should be reduced,” said Tania Trujillo, a federal water management official.
THE Arizona will receive in 2023 reduced amounts of water by 21%, Nevada by 8% and Mexico by 7%. California, which is most dependent on Colorado River water and is the most populous US state, will not be affected next year by these reductions.
At the same time, measures have also been taken at the local level in the cities that get their water from the river, as for example in Los Angeles where restrictions were imposed on the watering of gardens.
The Colorado River has its source in the Rocky Mountains and flows through Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and northern Mexico where it empties into the sea.
It is mainly fed by snow that accumulates at high altitude during the winter and gradually melts in the warmer months. But due to climate change, rainfall has decreased and snow is melting faster, reducing the volume of water in the river, which supplies millions of people and irrigates many crops.
The western US states are facing their 23rd year of drought, the worst in more than 1,000 years.
The drought also increases the intensity of forest fires, which are becoming more and more destructive.
RES-EMP
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