Most scientists agree that weather in the West is changing, particularly as regards the water supply. These changing weather patterns have shrunk snow packs, raised temperatures, spurred evaporation and reduced reservoirs to record lows. And it is unlikely things will get better soon.
Rising temperatures are the reason. The federal Bureau of Reclamation, which manages much water in the West, reported in 2013 that average temperatures in the upper Rio Grande, in Colorado and New Mexico, rose almost 2.8 degrees during the 40 years ending in 2011 — and could rise an additional four to six degrees by 2100. The 40-year increase, twice the global average, was beyond anything seen in the last 11,300 years.
The deputy secretary of the interior, Michael Connor, recently said, “The challenge is systemic and persistent across the West. We need better infrastructure, better operation arrangements, better ways to share water and move water.”
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