Colorado River supplies 40 million people across 7 states
The Colorado River Basin, which supplies water to 40 million people across seven states, faces the prospect of “water bankruptcy” as flows decline, as described in a Guardian podcast.
Guardian extreme weather correspondent Gabrielle Canon appeared on the Guardian’s “Stateside with Kai and Carter” podcast on July 13 to discuss the escalating water crisis in the western U.S. Canon told the podcast that the river’s diminishing flow is driving a fight over the future of the basin and raising the question of whether to develop the Yampa River, which she described as the last free-flowing tributary in the system.
The podcast describes the Yampa as the Colorado River Basin’s last wild river. Canon recently rafted the river and described the ecological stakes of proposed dam or diversion projects.
Damming or diverting the Yampa could bring much-needed hydration to the drought-stricken West, Canon told the podcast, but could also devastate the natural ecosystem that depends on the river’s free-flowing waters.
The dilemma over the Yampa’s future reflects the broader struggle over the Colorado River’s diminishing flows. The seven states that depend on its water face ongoing fights over allocation.
The podcast episode also covered the death of South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, with hosts Carter Sherman and Kai Wright reacting to the news.