Let it flow; let it flow. Can't hold it back anymore!

PART I- NATURAL LANDSCAPE CHANGES

The changing flows

Can't hold me back... or can we? Source: Gif Bay

Precipitation isn't the only changing part of the hydrosphere in the Southwest! The rivers have changed too! Let's focus in on the mighty Colorado River!

The Colorado River and Tributaries. Source: Wikipedia

The Colorado quick facts:

• It is a major source of water for the dry dry American and Mexican Southwest
• The river services over 30 million people! Zielinski (2010)
• 70% of the river feeds 3.5 million hectares of farmland. Zielinski (2010)
• The river's average flow of 15 million hectare feet is variable between 6-20 million hectare feet. MIT
• The river is dammed to create large reservoirs and generate over 4,000 megawatts of power. MIT
• The river's flow is decreasing in the basin. USGS (2004)
• The Colorado River no longer regularly reaches the sea... WHAT?

Check out this quick video to see the beauty and diversity of this landscape but also the problems facing the river

If you're one of those TL;DR types (or in this case watch): The river is beautiful; humans are over using it!

So what does this mean? Where is the river going? 75% of the river's flow comes from Rocky Mountain snow melt. Yet with predicted temperature increases the river could lose as much as 20% of its flow (MIT). The decreased flow/increasing usage is already evident. The large reservoirs are steadily decreasing and may never reach original levels again (Zielinski 2010). With projected population growth in the Southwest it is clear the Colorado like so many other water sources in the region will be put under more stress. The changes in the Southwest hydrosphere serve as the basis for many other environmental changes in its diverse landscape!