River Essay
The Environmental Effect of the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River is one of the most important rivers on the west coast. It is located northwest of Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The river is the largest source of surface water in the western region, and approximately 25-30 million people use the Colorado for drinking water. The river is also essential rural areas and provides services to farmers, Indian tribes, power distributors, and rafters in the region. The river’s drainage areas cover portions of seven U.S. states. However, its upper basin is located in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and its lower basin is located in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The Colorado River is primarily a snowmelt-driven hydrologic system. Snowmelt and precipitation make-up approximately 90% of the river’s current. Most of the snowmelt and rain water comes from the upper basin states. However, when it comes to the demand and use of the river; it comes from the lower basin states. In this essay, I will be discussing how drought, population growth, and climate change affects the Colorado River. Subsequently, the Colorado River Basin has faced difficulties in the past from lengthy droughts that has compressed regional water supply and other resources. This has caused the …show more content…
However, with population growth increasing it has put a hardship on the Colorado River. The combine population for the lower basin is 42,068,000. Each person in the lower basin places a demand on the water supply in the basin. Did you know that the average person in the Colorado River basin uses about 200 gallons of water per day? This demand and growth in population is going to require more water. The river has already been stripped due to population growth, droughts, and climate change. If this continues the water supply will continue to
The Environmental Effect of the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River is one of the most important rivers on the west coast. It is located northwest of Denver, Colorado in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The river is the largest source of surface water in the western region, and approximately 25-30 million people use the Colorado for drinking water. The river is also essential rural areas and provides services to farmers, Indian tribes, power distributors, and rafters in the region. The river’s drainage areas cover portions of seven U.S. states. However, its upper basin is located in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming, and its lower basin is located in Arizona, Nevada, and California. The Colorado River is primarily a snowmelt-driven hydrologic system. Snowmelt and precipitation make-up approximately 90% of the river’s current. Most of the snowmelt and rain water comes from the upper basin states. However, when it comes to the demand and use of the river; it comes from the lower basin states. In this essay, I will be discussing how drought, population growth, and climate change affects the Colorado River. Subsequently, the Colorado River Basin has faced difficulties in the past from lengthy droughts that has compressed regional water supply and other resources. This has caused the …show more content…
However, with population growth increasing it has put a hardship on the Colorado River. The combine population for the lower basin is 42,068,000. Each person in the lower basin places a demand on the water supply in the basin. Did you know that the average person in the Colorado River basin uses about 200 gallons of water per day? This demand and growth in population is going to require more water. The river has already been stripped due to population growth, droughts, and climate change. If this continues the water supply will continue to