The Colorado River supplies water to more than 30 million people, irrigates nearly 4 million acres of cropland in the U.S. and Mexico, and supplies hydropower plants that generate more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours annually. Water from the river also provides for recreation and an array of environmental benefits, supporting a wide diversity of fish and wildlife and their habitats, and preserving flow and water-dependent ecological systems. Increasing population, decreasing stream flows, and the uncertain effects of a changing climate call for a better understanding of water-use and water-availability in the Colorado River Basin.
In order to manage water resources now and in the future, water managers need information on all components of the water budget within the basin. Understanding these components will enhance the ability of water managers to make science-based decisions regarding water needs. In the Colorado River Basin, USGS is investigating three major components of the water budget:
- Water Use: Estimation of current water use and historical trends in water use into the future.
- Evapotraspiration and Snowpack Water Content: Regional and field scale assessments of evapotranspiration and the dynamic variation in snowpack water content.
- Groundwater Discharge: Estimation of groundwater discharge to streams and rivers.
STUDY RESULTS
Assessing Groundwater Age
USGS scientists recently released results from their study that was the first to examine the short-term response of groundwater systems to climate stresses at a regional scale by assessing groundwater age. USGS scientists determined the age of groundwater by sampling the water flowing from nineteen springs in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Age-tracing techniques can assess how long it takes groundwater to travel from the time it enters the aquifer system as precipitation to when the groundwater exits to springs and streams. Scientists compared eight of the springs with historical discharge and precipitation records with the groundwater age to better understand how aquifers have responded to drought. These findings helped scientists understand the variability and timing of groundwater discharge associated with drought
Groundwater and Streamflow Connected
USGS scientists have determined that more than half of the streamflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin originates as groundwater. Scientists used a new method to more accurately estimate the percentage of groundwater that supports streamflow. Researchers studied long-term records of water chemistry and streamflow data at 146 sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. These data were then analyzed to create a model to predict and map where streamflow originates in the basin. On average, 56 percent of the streamflow in the basin originated from groundwater. Results from this study have been published in Water Resources Research.
The Colorado River supplies water to more than 30 million people, irrigates nearly 4 million acres of cropland in the U.S. and Mexico, and supplies hydropower plants that generate more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours annually. Water from the river also provides for recreation and an array of environmental benefits, supporting a wide diversity of fish and wildlife and their habitats, and preserving flow and water-dependent ecological systems. Increasing population, decreasing stream flows, and the uncertain effects of a changing climate call for a better understanding of water-use and water-availability in the Colorado River Basin.
In order to manage water resources now and in the future, water managers need information on all components of the water budget within the basin. Understanding these components will enhance the ability of water managers to make science-based decisions regarding water needs. In the Colorado River Basin, USGS is investigating three major components of the water budget:
- Water Use: Estimation of current water use and historical trends in water use into the future.
- Evapotraspiration and Snowpack Water Content: Regional and field scale assessments of evapotranspiration and the dynamic variation in snowpack water content.
- Groundwater Discharge: Estimation of groundwater discharge to streams and rivers.
STUDY RESULTS
Assessing Groundwater Age
USGS scientists recently released results from their study that was the first to examine the short-term response of groundwater systems to climate stresses at a regional scale by assessing groundwater age. USGS scientists determined the age of groundwater by sampling the water flowing from nineteen springs in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Age-tracing techniques can assess how long it takes groundwater to travel from the time it enters the aquifer system as precipitation to when the groundwater exits to springs and streams. Scientists compared eight of the springs with historical discharge and precipitation records with the groundwater age to better understand how aquifers have responded to drought. These findings helped scientists understand the variability and timing of groundwater discharge associated with drought
Groundwater and Streamflow Connected
USGS scientists have determined that more than half of the streamflow in the Upper Colorado River Basin originates as groundwater. Scientists used a new method to more accurately estimate the percentage of groundwater that supports streamflow. Researchers studied long-term records of water chemistry and streamflow data at 146 sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. These data were then analyzed to create a model to predict and map where streamflow originates in the basin. On average, 56 percent of the streamflow in the basin originated from groundwater. Results from this study have been published in Water Resources Research.