Latest news with #waterScarcity
National Post
an hour ago
- Climate
- National Post
AEM Report: Western U.S. Drought Nearly Triples in One Year, Threatening Critical Resources and Infrastructure
Article content 2025 Summer Weather Outlook Highlights Urgent Need for Action Amid Escalating Water Scarcity, Agricultural Challenges, and Infrastructure Risks Article content GERMANTOWN, Md. — The Western United States faces a rapidly worsening drought crisis, with affected areas nearly tripling compared to last year, according to AEM's 2025 Summer Weather Outlook, which was released today. This significant drought expansion raises serious concerns about water availability, agricultural productivity, wildfire threats, and infrastructure stability across the region. Article content The report shows Lake Mead and Lake Powell, crucial reservoirs providing water for millions, have reached alarmingly low levels, holding just one-third of their usual capacity. This shortage poses significant challenges to agriculture, urban water supplies, and industries reliant on consistent water availability. In Nebraska, drought conditions have notably impacted agriculture, severely affecting more than half of the state's corn acreage. Article content The severe drought conditions are further intensifying wildfire risks, particularly around the July 4th holiday, historically associated with increased wildfire activity. The Outlook indicates that areas such as California, the Great Basin, and the northern Rockies are projected to face above-normal fire potential throughout the summer months, further straining firefighting resources and endangering communities. Canada is also facing extreme fire danger across western provinces, with burned acreage already triple the seasonal average. Article content 'This summer will bring a dangerous combination of heat, dryness, and fuel buildup that elevates wildfire risks across North America,' said James Aman, Senior Meteorologist at AEM. 'We're already seeing an above-average number of wildfires in the U.S., with similar trends north of the border.' Article content Additionally, hotter-than-normal temperatures are expected across the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and the Upper Midwest, exacerbating drought conditions and placing significant stress on regional electric grids. The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) specifically faces heightened vulnerability due to anticipated peak summer air-conditioning demands, highlighting the critical need for adaptive energy management and infrastructure resilience. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact: Article content Article content Neal Stein Article content Article content Article content
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Colorado River Basin's groundwater is disappearing faster than the river itself
The Colorado River Basin lost an alarming amount of groundwater over the past 20 years, a new study found. Nearly 28 million acre-feet of water has been depleted from the region, nearly the volume of a full Lake Mead, the country's largest reservoir. It's twice the amount that was lost from the river's reserves in the same period and the loss is accelerating, the report said. There was a three-fold increase in the rate of depletion over the past decade when compared to the rate of the previous 14 studied. While significant attention and legislation has been directed to the Colorado River, the water below the surface has not been as heavily scrutinized. To do so, the research team used NASA satellite technology — involving lasers and assessments of gravitational pull on targeted locations — to assess these less visible groundwater supplies. What they found gave them cause for concern. 'We have to be worried,' Karem Abdelmohsen, the lead author of the study and a research scholar at Arizona State University, said. 'This is really scary.' That's because the Colorado River basin is already struggling with water scarcity. Covering seven states, as well as parts of Mexico, it supplies water to about 40 million people and supports billions of dollars in agriculture. That scale of demand exists despite what the study, published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, refers to as 'unprecedented water management challenges due to the impacts of climate change, including severe aridification and increasing variability in the water cycle.' In other words, there is an increasing volume and ferocity of droughts across the Southwest, where populations are growing faster than many other parts of the country. The severity of the region's water woes are well-documented — Arizona, for example, has been in a drought since 1994. Then there is the declining flow of the Colorado River itself, which has seen a 20% decrease over the past 100 years, with the expectation that by mid-century it might go down another 30%. As access to this 'surface water' diminishes, it places a significant pressure on the region's groundwater — well water that is pumped from underground aquifers — that is the only backstop against running out of water entirely. In an interview, Abdelmohsen described the situation in personal economics terms. He said surface water supplies like the Colorado River are like a checking account while groundwater is similar to a savings account. Things are good when you are drawing on your checking account per your needs, while also making consistent deposits into your savings. 'Imagine if you start using both accounts at the same time and your savings account is running out of money and whatever is left is not enough for five years, 10 years,' Abdelmohsen said. 'If you don't save water for the future or for the next generation, it will be the same situation. 'The water table will get lower, and as this gets lower, most of the wells will dry up,' he said. 'Especially in some areas that don't have access to surface water, they will not have any water for their farms.' Should the groundwater continue to deplete at this rate, Abdelmohsen said the region would become fully reliant on the ebb and flow of precipitation and surface water, which would create a situation where the supply would not be able to meet the demand. The states in the Colorado River Basin are split between the upper basin — Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah — and the lower basin of Nevada, California and Arizona. It's the lower basin states that are at the greatest risk should the depletions continue at the current rate. 'Groundwater is a crucial buffer as water supply in arid environments like the (lower Colorado River Basin), but it is rapidly disappearing due to excessive extraction on one hand and insufficient recharge and management on the other,' the report says. The groundwater in the lower basin makes up 40% of its total water supply and, of all the water depleted in that region during the period of the study, 71% came from those reserves. In the upper basin states, 53% of its regions depletions came from groundwater. In the discussion section of the report, what the lower basin is facing was summarized: 'This scenario places the region's overall economy and agricultural productivity at significant risk, as an increase in reliance on groundwater is inevitable.' While the report did not offer a specific plan of action, the authors believe their findings should make Colorado River Basin groundwater issues 'a national imperative,' as there are ways to address the problem. Abdelmohsen pointed out that while surface water is regulated, groundwater is much less so. California has strong regulations in place, as does Utah, but only 18% of Arizona, a state particularly exposed to diminishing water reserves, has any groundwater regulations at all. First and foremost, Abdelmohsen believes, states and municipalities should find ways to reduce drawing on groundwater so they can begin to replenish these underground aquifers. As agriculture represents 80% of water use, changing from high-water drawing crops, such as alfalfa fed to cattle, is one idea he mentioned. The report also mentions fewer perennial tree crops, and moving from flood-irrigation systems to more efficient systems. For now, there is no telling how long the groundwater will last as its total supply remains unknown. Abdelmohsen was reluctant to guess since nobody can accurately estimate how much water is held underground. 'This highlights how urgent it is to protect groundwater before the situation gets worse,' Abdelmohsen said. 'I see these research findings like an early alarm actually for this water scarcity.'
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Scotland's dry weather to end with rain and landslide warning
Scotland's five-week stretch of dry weather will come to an end later with heavy rain, hail and thunder expected over the in Argyll have been warned about potential landslides on the A83, with an alternate route to be opened as a agency Sepa has recorded water scarcity across the country after Scotland's driest period in 60 it warned that the incoming rain, which is due from Friday night, is unlikely to be enough to replenish river levels. It said that there would need to be "well above average rainfall" after the prolonged dry also said there had been no rainfall in parts of Fife for more than a month and the east of Scotland was particularly it said that if there was no significant rainfall over the next seven days, the River Esk in Dumfriesshire would be raised to "significant scarcity". In Argyll, the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful is known for its potential for agency Bear Scotland is planning to open the Old Military Road alternative route as a precaution from 20:00 on Friday until Tuesday Scott, Bear Scotland's north west representative, said: "The safety of road users is a top priority and we closely monitor conditions at the Rest and Be Thankful on a daily basis."While the weather has been extremely dry and sunny in recent weeks, our decision to divert A83 traffic is based on the incoming forecast for heavy rain, and our experience of previous events where landslides have occurred during the first heavy rain after extended periods of dry weather." Scotland has enjoyed dry weather for five weeks - the driest start to the year since hottest day of the year so far was 13 May, with temperatures of 25.5C recorded at both Tyndrum in Stirling and Auchincruive in South this spring is so far currently ranking at the driest spring in more than a century, according to the Met Office. BBC Scotland's senior weather presenter Christopher Blanchett said: "It's not rained in parts of Scotland for five weeks thanks to a blocked weather pattern."High pressure has been dominant overhead keeping conditions dry and settled, compressing the air and allowing it to warm. He added: "This weekend will see high pressure relinquish its grip, allowing the Atlantic to roar back to life and send weather systems our way from the west."We'll see a spell of heavy rain on Friday night, followed by an unsettled spell through the weekend and into next week too."There will be frequent showers on Saturday and Sunday with hail and thunder, along with a spell of blustery westerly winds."
