Regional
(2009-12-02)
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DENVER, CO
(KUNC) -
State officials are predicting that climate change could have disastrous consequences on river flows in western Colorado, many of which feed the state's booming Front Range. Data released yesterday shows that water levels could drop by more than twenty percent on the Colorado River, and by more on many of its tributaries.
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The preliminary findings are sobering, but not necessarily surprising.
Researchers looked at average global climate models for the year 2070 and applied them to various rivers in western Colorado, where water levels are already stressed.
"This is a unique study because we've taken these predictions that just focus on the reduction or the increase in temperature," said Ray Alvarado, of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, "And superimposed those on the local level to see what is the impact on supplies. It hasn't been done before."
And researchers found climate change would rear its ugly head differently across western Colorado.
They found that more precipitation would fall in the winter by 2070, but far less in the summer. The rub is that precipitation may fall in the form of rain, not snow. Not good for storing water that cities, farmers and others depend on.
The study also shows that water levels on the Colorado River would drop by about 23 percent, 35 percent on the Gunnison, and 70 percent on the Dolores in southwest Colorado.
"The positive way to look at it is we're trying to be proactive in this," Alvarez said. "We're developing the planning tools that water users and water planners can use to make better decisions because these are best guesses in terms of climate change."
Some parts of the state could see more moisture in a warmer world.
State officials say northwest Colorado's Yampa River could drop by only 2 percent by 2070. That's also the river that's being most closely eyed by thirsty cities and the oil shale industry.
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