Current:Home > StocksStudy finds Western megadrought is the worst in 1,200 years-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Study finds Western megadrought is the worst in 1,200 years
View Date:2024-12-23 16:16:20
Shrunk reservoirs. Depleted aquifers. Low rivers. Raging wildfires. It's no secret that the Western U.S. is in a severe drought. New research published Monday shows just how extreme the situation has become.
The Western U.S. and northern Mexico are experiencing their driest period in at least 1,200 years, according to the new study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change. The last comparable — though not as severe — multidecade megadrought occurred in the 1500s, when the West was still largely inhabited by Native American tribes.
Today, the region is home to tens of millions of people, massive agricultural centers and some of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. — all in an area where there's less water available than there was in the past, partially due to human-caused climate change.
"We have a society that's relying on there being the amount of water there was in the 1900s," said the study's lead author, Park Williams, a bioclimatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. "But now with the number of water molecules available to us declining, it really is time for us to get real about how much water there is for us to use."
Williams looked at tree ring data from thousands of sites to conduct the research. The researchers sampled data collected from live trees, dead trees and wood beams preserved at Native American archeological sites. The tree rings gave Williams insight into drought events dating back to A.D. 800, around the time Charlemagne was being crowned emperor of Rome.
He identified four other megadroughts in that time period, the most notable being a 23-year drought that ended in the late 1500s. There were hopes during a wet 2019 that the current megadrought was following a similar pattern, Williams said.
"And then from summer 2020 through all of 2021, it was just exceptionally dry across the West ... indicating that this drought is nowhere near done."
It's time to "pull out all the stops" and plan for less water
Western water managers were again hopeful for a change at the beginning of this winter. In December, California's Sierra Nevada had record-breaking snowfall, and big snowstorms blanketed the northern Rockies. But a hot, dry start to the year has since dropped snowpack levels to below average in many places.
Lake Mead and Lake Powell, the country's two largest reservoirs, are filled at only about one-third of their total capacity. Communities, ranchers and farmers have depleted groundwater stores to meet demands.
Federal water managers declared the first-ever water shortage along the Colorado River last year, triggering cuts to some of the river's 40 million users. It was a recognition "that the hydrology that was planned for years ago — but we hoped we would never see — is here," said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton.
"The Colorado River Basin no longer has the privilege of time," said Kim Mitchell, senior water policy adviser at Western Resource Advocates, an environmental nonprofit, after hearing about the new research. "It's imperative for water managers in the West to incorporate a smaller [Colorado] River into future operations and pull out all the stops in scaling up basin-wide conservation. Incremental solutions just won't be enough."
Human-caused climate change contributes to drought
Existing management guidelines for the Colorado River are set to expire in 2026. The seven states that draw from the watershed are negotiating with the federal government, Native American tribes and Mexico over what future management should look like.
Last December, Nevada, Arizona and California agreed to take less water from the Colorado River in an effort to prop up Lake Mead, and more cuts could follow.
"This is a wake-up call for everyone," Adel Hagekhalil, general water manager for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, told KUNC. "For all of us. We are facing a new normal when it comes to climate change."
Williams, the study author, said roughly one-fifth of the current megadrought can be attributed to human-caused climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are warming the world, speeding evaporation and disrupting weather patterns.
He described water patterns in the West as a yo-yo — sometimes high, sometimes low. Climate change has put that yo-yo on an escalator heading down, he said, "and we cannot let ourselves get tricked by a few wet years into giving up on the progress we've been making."
"We actually have to change our relationship with water."
veryGood! (9)
Related
- Rachael Ray Details Getting Bashed Over Decision to Not Have Kids
- Why did the Falcons draft Michael Penix Jr.? Looking back at bizarre 2024 NFL draft pick
- Ja'Marr Chase's outburst was ignited by NFL's controversial new hip-drop tackle rule
- 2024 Emmys: Elizabeth Debicki Details Why She’s “Surprised” by Win for The Crown
- Song Jae-lim, Moon Embracing the Sun Actor, Dead at 39
- Jane’s Addiction cancels its tour after onstage concert fracas
- Ulta & Sephora Flash Sales: 50% Off Coola Setting Spray, Stila Eyeshadow, Osea Night Cream & $11.50 Deals
- Can noncitizens vote in Pennsylvania elections?
- Why Josh O'Connor Calls Sex Scenes Least Sexy Thing After Challengers With Zendaya and Mike Faist
- Low Boom, High Pollution? NASA Readies for Supersonic Test Flight
Ranking
- Biden, Harris participate in Veterans Day ceremony | The Excerpt
- Giving away a fortune: What could Warren Buffett’s adult children support?
- Pregnant Pretty Little Liars Alum Torrey DeVitto Marries Jared LaPine
- Travis Kelce's NFL Suite Features Sweet Nod to Taylor Swift
- Nelly will not face charges after St. Louis casino arrest for drug possession
- Jane’s Addiction cancels its tour after onstage concert fracas
- The next generation of Buffetts is poised to become one of the biggest forces in philanthropy
- Trump was on the links taking a breather from the campaign. Then the Secret Service saw a rifle
Recommendation
-
Tech consultant testifies that ‘bad joke’ led to deadly clash with Cash App founder Bob Lee
-
Officials ban swimming after medical waste washes ashore in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware
-
Abercrombie & Fitch Quietly Put Tons of Chic Styles on Sale – Score an Extra 25% off, Starting at $9
-
FACT FOCUS: A look at false claims made by Trump in California
-
What to know about Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney, who died Friday
-
You need to start paying your student debt. No, really.
-
Taylor Swift's Mom Andrea Swift Shares Sweet Moment with Travis Kelce's Mom
-
America’s Got Talent Alum Emily Gold Dead at 17