Colorado River Basin Faces Severe Water Crisis Amid Drought and Climate Change
Proposed solutions include large-scale water diversion projects and changes to Western water law to allow for water leasing.
- Due to ongoing drought and climate change, the Colorado River Basin is experiencing a water crisis, with the river system supplying water to 40 million people being severely strained.
- Currently, 79% of the water taken from the Colorado River is used for agriculture, with a significant portion used to grow crops for livestock, particularly hay.
- Aaron Million, a Colorado entrepreneur, has proposed a massive water pipeline project to divert water from the Green River, a tributary of the Colorado River, to Colorado's Front Range.
- Despite the water shortage, large-scale diversion projects continue to be proposed, with critics arguing for conservation and water recycling instead.
- Changes to Western water law could allow farmers to lease their water rights, potentially refilling reservoirs and providing a more efficient use of the resource.
Mother Jones 
