Colorado River might recover from two-decade drought thanks to precipitation
The American Southwest and its drinking water may not be in as bad of shape as originally thought. A new study coming from researchers at CU Boulder, reveals that precipitation, not temperature, will keep the Colorado River fuller than previous research told us.
The Journal of Climate published the study Tuesday as a guide for policymakers, water managers, states and tribes to figure out how to monitor the river until 2050. New guidelines are going to replace regulations from 2007, which are set to expire at the end of 2026.
Comprehensive climate model analysis from CIRES, an institute of the University of Colorado Boulder, forecasting precipitation for the next 25 years, shows a 70% chance of increased precipitation compared with the last two decades, which brought the Colorado River to a devastating drought.
"The temperature is warming, but that's not the full story — you add precipitation and you get a fuller picture," says Balaji Rajagopalan, co-author of the study.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/colorado-river-might-recover-two-210456655.html