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Drought News

With a meager snowpack in the Rocky Mountains and the watershed extremely parched, 2021 will see severe water shortages and larger water cuts in the Southwest including Colorado.

The Biden administration is forming an interagency working group to address the worsening drought in the West for communities affected by shortages. Federal officials said with water allocations at historic lows in areas like the Colorado River Basin, there is an urgent need to minimize the impacts of the drought and develop long-term plans.

Following are links to recent articles discussing the drought.

11/22/21 - Friends of the Lower Blue River starting climate resiliency initiative

11/16/21 - Snowpack levels are off to a good start for the 2021-22 water year

10/13/21 - As Lake Powell hits record lows, is filling a new drought pool the answer?

10/10/21 - As climate change deepens, Lake Mead and Lake Powell continue drying up

10/6/21 - West Slope water officials sound alarm on climate change, shrinking water supplies

9/26/21 - Hydropower Dips During Western Drought

9/23/21 - There's a 1-in-3 chance Lake Powell won't be able to generate hydropower in 2023 due to drought conditions, new study says

9/21/21 - Weak La Nina in the forecast: Here’s what it means for ski season in Summit County

9/18/21 - On the river with Mitt Romney and Michael Bennet: Politicians, industry heads talk drought, climate change in the West

9/15/21 - Feds won’t do more emergency water releases to aid Lake Powell after this year

9/13/21 - Oct. 1 water seminar to tackle pressing challenges

9/6/21 - These images from space show how much the reservoirs and lakes of the West have dried up

9/1/21 - Electric costs in Colorado set to surge as Lake Powell struggles to produce hydropower

8/25/21 - Colorado River rehydrates with 500 million gallon water donation

8/24/21 - Federal government will build climate observatory near Gunnison to monitor drought

8/20/21 - The West’s megadrought is so bad, authorities are airlifting water for animals

8/16/21 - Jared Polis And Western Governors Request Drought Disaster Status

8/17/21 - Rains bring some drought relief to southwestern Colorado

8/17/21 - Feds declare first-ever water shortages at Lake Mead, triggering cuts

8/13/21 - It’s official: July was Earth’s hottest month on record

8/1/21 - Lake Powell’s declining water levels affecting residents on the Western Slope

7/24/21 - After 20 years of drought, Western Slope ranchers face choice — keep adapting or move along

7/21/21 - Rain During Monsoon Season Is Becoming Less Reliable, Less Effective

7/16/21 - Officials Pull ‘Emergency Lever’ as Lake Powell Plunges Toward Dangerous New Low

7/16/21 - Already-low Colorado River reservoirs release water for Powell power production

7/15/21 - Colorado River Basin Reservoirs Begin Emergency Releases To Prop Up A Troubled Lake Powell

7/13/21 - The Colorado River is drying up faster than federal officials can keep track. Mandatory water cuts are looming.

7/14/21 - California asks everyone to cut back water use as reservoir supplies plummet

7/7/21 - Gunnison & Colorado River Basins brace for water issues

7/2/21 - Drought forces Grand Junction to dip into Colorado River for drinking water for the first time in more than 50 years

6/27/21 - The West's megadrought

6/25/21 - Low water levels and peaking temperatures raise concern

6/24/21 - Small Towns Along Colorado’s Front Range Plan For More Growth — And Less Water

6/23/21 - Another Dry Year On The Colorado River Could Force States, Feds Back To Negotiating Table

6/18/21 - If Lake Powell’s Water Levels Keep Falling, A Multi-State Reservoir Release May Be Needed

6/16/21 - Colorado lawmakers say “yes” to more than $53M in new water funding

6/16/21 - The Drought in the West Is Bad and It’s Gonna Get Worse

6/10/21 - Key reservoir on Colorado River hits record low amid drought

6/9/21 - "Mega-drought" takes dramatic toll on Colorado River system that provides water to 40 million people

6/4/21 - The Front Range May Have Gotten Soaked, But Half Of Denver’s Water Supply Comes From The Drought-Stricken Western Slope

6/1/21 - Lake Powell near historic lows

5/30/21 - Blue River Watershed Group presents annual update and drought predictions

5/27/21 - Hoover Dam, symbol of the modern West, faces a new test with an epic water shortage

5/26/21 - Congress warned of a ‘real and urgent’ drought crisis throughout the West

5/19/21 - Colorado's snowpack far below norm despite recent precipitation

5/19/21 - Severe Drought, Worsened by Climate Change, Ravages the American West

5/19/21 - Colorado’s dry soils, thin mountain snowpacks, taking a toll

5/17/21 - Dry Soils And Drought Mean Even Normal Snowpack Can’t Keep Up With Climate Change In The West

5/14/21 - The Colorado River’s Dwindling Water Supply

5/12/21 - Dillon Reservoir Operations Update

5/11/21 - Colorado’s new climate data shows the state is warming and drying

5/10/21 - Drought conditions improve in Summit County, but snowpack remains below average

4/23/21 - As a Hotter, Drier Climate Grips the Colorado River, Water Risks Grow Across the Southwest

4/21/21 - White House Moves to Assist Western U.S. Communities Hit by Drought

4/21/21 - As a Megadrought Persists, New Projections Show a Key Colorado River Reservoir Could Sink to a Record Low Later This Year

4/19/21 - Grand Junction Monitoring Water Supply and Continued Drought

4/19/21 - Warm Weather, Wind Evaporates Irrigation Season

4/17/21 - US West Prepares for Possible 1st Water Shortage Declaration

4/16/21 - Colorado River Basin’s Snowpack Season Earns Low Grades: Bad News for Water in the West

4/16/21 - With First-Ever Colorado River Shortage Almost Certain, States Stare Down Mandatory Cutbacks

4/15/21 - Drought Continues to Plague Colorado Raising Concerns about Ag Water Supplies

4/13/21 - Snowpack Peak a Bit Below Average, with Streamflow Outlook More Dire

4/12/21 - In The West, Signs In The Snow Warn That A 20-Year Drought Will Persist And Intensify

4/12/21 - Vail Melt is Upon us After Snow-water Peak Occurs in March this Season

4/9/21 - Drought and Dry Soils Again Will Diminish Colorado’s Spring Runoff

4/5/21 - Increased Winter Snowmelt Threatens Western Water Resources