Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies: The Colorado River- National Geographic

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Colorado River- National Geographic

I am worried this is not going to function exactly as it should, therefore link to original article:
( YES, it is a tricky interactional piece)

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/change-the-course/colorado-river-map/

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Data Sources

River flow volumes: US Geological Survey (USGS).
Diversion flow volumes: US Bureau of Reclamation.
Dams, canals, pipelines, and aqueducts: USGS and
National Geographic. Latest available data shown.

This map was made possible with support from the Walton Family Foundation.

The Colorado River

The Colorado River supplies water for 30 million people. It is one of the most contested, recreated-upon, and carefully controlled rivers on Earth. Diverted under peaks, utilized by turbines that create hydropower, and stored by enormous reservoirs, the 1,450-mile-long Colorado faces growing challenges associated with increasing population, declining ecosystems, drought, and expected climate change. Click on a topic below to learn more.

Balancing Limited Supply With Increasing Demand

The Colorado River Basin is a critical component of North American water supply, providing H2O to 30 million people and thousands of acres of farmland. When Colorado River withdrawals were first allocated among the river basin’s seven states, in 1922, the river held 17.5 million acre-feet (5.7 trillion gallons) of water. However, new science has shown that 1922 was part of an especially wet period. The river now averages about 14.7 million acre-feet per year and is allocated among seven states and Mexico. Water managers are trying to address growing challenges associated with over-allocation, rapidly increasing urban populations, development of unused water rights, and expected climate change. The water levels of the river’s two largest reservoirs—Lake Mead and Lake Powell, stored by Hoover and Glen Canyon Dams—have dropped significantly in recent years, threatening supplies for major cities. In addition, the trapping of silt behind dams also limits the quality and extent of river habitats.

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