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Climate change is slowly drying up the Colorado River

Average annual water flow dropped more than 11 percent over the last century due to warming

With climate change shrinking snow cover in the Colorado River Basin, the ground absorbs more sunlight. That causes more water to evaporate, leaving less to feed the Colorado River that brings water to millions of people.

Kojihirano / iStock / Getty Images Plus

By Maria Temming

- More than 2 years ago

Climate change is threatening to dry up the Colorado River — jeopardizing a water supply that serves some 40 million people from Denver to Phoenix to Las Vegas and irrigates farmlands across the U.S.