Colorado River flows will be affected by depleting groundwater, study says

A photo of dry brown mountains in Colorado — The high mountains in central Colorado were mostly dry in December 2017 in this file photo, taken from the Crested Butte Mountain Resort looking up the Slate and East river valleys around the time snowpack in the Gunnison River Basin was 35 percent of normal. The smaller rivers are tributaries of the Gunnison River. (Photo provided by USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service)

By Elise Schmelzer | eschmelzer@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

UPDATED: May 31, 2024 at 2:27 PM MDT

As the West heats up, the study found, mountain groundwater storage will deplete and the mountain streams that feed the region's rivers will drastically shrink.

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Originally Published: May 31, 2024 at 6:00 AM MDT

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Shrinking Colorado River faces another water-sapping threat — from underground, new study says

Depletion of groundwater will reduce mountain streams that supply critical water to river basin

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