Agriculture on Thin Ice by Tina Titus Mathew

The Colorado River Basin is facing a number of challenges that pose a significant risk to its sustainability. Challenges include overallocation and drought, climate change, population growth and environmental degradation. The Colorado River is one of the most overallocated rivers in the world, meaning that more water has been promised to users than is actually available. Located in an arid climate, the river experiences several years of drought between a wet year. However in the last two decades, the basin has experienced drought conditions that have reduced the river’s flow to record lows for two large reservoirs located within the river system, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. The allocation of water, in part a result from The Colorado River Compact in 1920s, did not account for the population growth of major cities Denver, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. The population is projected to only grow, increasing the demand for water. This project focuses on the river’s largest user, the agriculture industry. Amounting to 80% of water use, the agriculture industry might face the largest consequences of the river’s sustainability. Will the agriculture industry be able to adapt to these changes? Is there a larger issue of inability to grow agriculture in other areas as climate conditions change throughout the US? In discussing the changes of climate, water use and availability we can draw conclusions of needed change.