Future of Water Supply at Risk

Global warming may cause longer and more severe droughts than ever seen on the Colorado River, significantly decreasing the West's water supply for drinking, growing crops and keeping lawns green, a study by the National Research Council concluded Wednesday.

The decline in supply could be so severe -- a previous study cited suggested as much as 20 percent -- that water-saving measures won't be enough to compensate in the rapidly growing region, the council's study said.

The council is part of the National Academies -- a group of private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology and health policy advice under a congressional charter. The study examined previous research, including tree-ring data dating back 600 years, to draw conclusions and offer recommendations.

Such a drop in Colorado River flow, the panelists said, could lead to costly and difficult choices on an already politically contentious issue: how to share the lifeblood of the West. The river serves water to seven states and to 18 million people in Southern California alone, including more than 1 million in the Inland region. It is used heavily for agriculture in the Coachella Valley.

"Whenever decisions have to be made on whose water is reduced, that is always contentious," said Ernest Smerdon, former dean of the College of Engineering and Mines at the University of Arizona, Tucson, who chaired the study panel.

The panel, made up of experts in climate, water resources, engineering and geography, urged the states to launch an in-depth study of water supply and demand so they have a plan in place before a crisis occurs.

from the Press-Enterprise (Riverside CA)