Colorado Water Supply History

The Colorado River starts in the Rocky Mountains and cuts through 1500 miles of desert canyon lands of seven US states and two Mexican states to supply water the southwestern US [1, 2]. From early settlement, the basin states have debated and reassigned the water rights to the river; however, all the distribution patterns lead to excessive consumption of the resource [2]. In 1922, the seven states signed into the Colorado River Compact, which outlined the policy for the distribution rights to the water [3], however, this compact was written during an exceptionally wet period, which has shown to be uncharacteristic of the long-term conditions [4]. As the century progressed, the climate cycled into the traditional drier climate and by the 1950s, the river no longer met its delta in the Gulf of California [2]. Coupled with growing populations in the Western US in the late 20th century, the reservoirs and groundwater supplies have seen steady declines from a consumption pattern that is outpacing the system's ability to replenish itself and raises concerns about the future water supply [5].

Without Minute 319 of the International Boundary and Water Commission, where Mexico deferred delivery of their portion of the water [6], the US Bureau of Reclamation would have declared a shortage on the Colorado River in August of 2016 [7]. While the declaration was declined this past summer, Minute 319 only serves as a temporary fix to a water shortage that would wreak havoc on the resource supply and the economy of the basin. To fully understand the problem facing the Colorado River Basin, more research focusing on areas already experiencing shortages, areas that are vulnerable to shortages, and the impacts of those shortages will have to be