“Colorado River Basin Water Crisis Deepens as Backup Supplies Dry Up” — what this page in the network covers. The Colorado River Basin, a lifeline for 40 million people across seven U.S. states and Mexico, is facing an escalating water crisis as even backup supplies are diminishing. According to a recent report highlighted by ScienceAlert, the region's primary reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have dropped to historic lows, triggering unprecedented shortage declarations.
Now, secondary sources such as groundwater aquifers and smaller reservoirs are also showing alarming declines. This dual threat compounds the challenges for major cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, as well as for the region's $5 billion agricultural industry. Experts warn that continued overuse, combined with a two-decade megadrought exacerbated by climate change, is pushing the system toward a tipping point. For the complete material, the listing points back to the source inside the network.