Drought Stricken River: A Watershed Moment for the West The latest water cuts issued for California, Nevada, and Arizona from the drought stricken Colorado River are a stark reminder of the region's precarious relationship with its most vital resource.
The drastic reductions – totaling 1. 25 million acre feet annually over the next two years – stem from years of overuse, exacerbated by rising temperatures and dwindling snowpack.
The Colorado River supplies an estimated 35 to 40 million people and has long been a symbol of American ingenuity and progress. However, its current state is vastly different from that of the past.