Esther Oyedele

Stories

Upper Colorado River Basin loses groundwater faster than drier Lower Basin

Graduate student at Virginia Tech

The Upper Colorado River Basin lost 4.6 trillion gallons of groundwater during the 2020-2022 drought, nearly twice the loss in the drier Lower Basin. Over the full study period from 2004 to 2023, the basin lost about 14 cubic miles of groundwater, the Virginia Tech team reported in Water Resources Research.

Updated Oct 22

Notable Quotes

I did not expect to see so much groundwater loss there during the recent drought. What surprised me even more was that groundwater did not track surface-water shortages in the same way in the Upper and Lower Basins.

from Upper Colorado River Basin loses groundwater faster than drier Lower Basin · Updated Oct 22

The Upper Colorado River Basin has historically been considered more resilient because it receives more precipitation, particularly snowfall in the Rocky Mountains.

from Upper Colorado River Basin loses groundwater faster than drier Lower Basin · Updated Oct 22

I think the important takeaway is that we should not assume that the Upper Basin will remain relatively resilient simply because it has historically received more precipitation and snowmelt.

from Upper Colorado River Basin loses groundwater faster than drier Lower Basin · Updated Oct 22