USGS Science Collaboration Portal for the Colorado River Basin
Collaboration platform that brings together science, data, and mapping and analytical tools from across the basin
Collaboration platform that brings together science, data, and mapping and analytical tools from across the basin
USGS Colorado River Basin Science & Technology
An Integrated Approach to Improve Efficiency and Delivery of Actionable USGS Drought Science Using Advanced Information Technology
An Integrated Approach to Improve Efficiency and Delivery of Actionable USGS Drought Science Using Advanced Information Technology
USGS Integrated Science Projects in the Colorado River Basin
A Map-based Narrative of Selected USGS Integrated Science Projects
A Map-based Narrative of Selected USGS Integrated Science Projects
Geologic Stories in the Grand Canyon
A September 2023, River Trip to Conduct Collaborative Geologic Studies
A September 2023, River Trip to Conduct Collaborative Geologic Studies
Drought and Climate Change
Access Extensive USGS Information about Droughts and Climate Change
Access Extensive USGS Information about Droughts and Climate Change
Colorado River Basin Drought and the 2023 Water Year
Geonarrative Presentation about Long-term Colorado River Basin Drought and the 2023 Water Year
Geonarrative Presentation about Long-term Colorado River Basin Drought and the 2023 Water Year
Colorado River Basin: Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology
The USGS Colorado River Basin Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science and Technology (ASIST) initiative is a landscape scale project to accelerate interdisciplinary science and application of advanced technology for stakeholder-driven challenges in the Colorado River Basin. The ASIST initiative supports science co-development with partners for integrated drought science and technology projects
News
Publications
Fish health altered by contaminants and low water temperatures compounded by prolonged regional drought in the Lower Colorado River Basin, USA Fish health altered by contaminants and low water temperatures compounded by prolonged regional drought in the Lower Colorado River Basin, USA
The goal of this study was to assess health of male Common Carp (carp, Cyprinus carpio) at four sites with a wide range in environmental organic contaminant (EOC) concentrations and water temperatures in Lake Mead National Recreation Area NV/AZ, US, and the potential influence of regional drought. Histological and reproductive biomarkers were measured in 17–30 carp at four sites and 130...
Seasonal drought treatments impact plant and microbial uptake of nitrogen in a mixed shrub grassland on the Colorado Plateau Seasonal drought treatments impact plant and microbial uptake of nitrogen in a mixed shrub grassland on the Colorado Plateau
For many drylands, both long- and short-term drought conditions can accentuate landscape heterogeneity at both temporal (e.g., role of seasonal patterns) and spatial (e.g., patchy plant cover) scales. Furthermore, short-term drought conditions occurring over one season can exacerbate long-term, multidecadal droughts or aridification, by limiting soil water recharge, decreasing plant...
Droughting a megadrought: Ecological consequences of a decade of experimental drought atop aridification on the Colorado Plateau Droughting a megadrought: Ecological consequences of a decade of experimental drought atop aridification on the Colorado Plateau
Global dryland vegetation communities will likely change as ongoing drought conditions shift regional climates towards a more arid future. Additional aridification of drylands can impact plant and ground cover, biogeochemical cycles, and plant-soil feedbacks, yet how and when these crucial ecosystem components will respond to drought intensification requires further investigation. Using...
Science
Partners in Science
Partners in Science is a collaborative effort between Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, Grand Canyon Youth, and the National Park Service to provide opportunities for youth to engage in scientific field research in Grand Canyon. This partnership connects youth from diverse backgrounds with the Nation’s natural and cultural resources on 2-3 river-based expeditions on the Colorado River...
Colorado Plateau Extreme Drought in Grassland Experiment (EDGE)
In drylands, short-term extreme droughts can have profound ecosystem effects, depending on the timing (seasonality) of drought and the sensitivities of the dominant plants and plant functional types. Past work suggests that cool season drought may disproportionately impact regionally important grass and shrub species. In this study, we are examining the impacts of extreme seasonal drought on...
Understanding the Effects of Seasonal Precipitation Changes on Hydrology and Ecosystems in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River provides water to 40 million people in the southwestern United States. Consistent water level declines in Colorado River Basin reservoirs have focused research attention on the long-term changes in winter precipitation and the timing of snowmelt and runoff. Research on how warming temperatures affect winter precipitation and spring snowmelt is ongoing, however, less...