The Guardian - Colorado River basin has lost nearly the equivalent of an underground Lake Mead
“Groundwater is disappearing 2.4 times faster than the surface water,”
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This recent article from The Guardian reveals alarming findings from a new study showing that the Colorado River basin has lost nearly 27.8 million acre-feet of groundwater in the past two decades— roughly equivalent to the full volume of Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States. Drawing on NASA satellite data, researchers found that groundwater is being depleted 2.4 times faster than surface water, underscoring a deepening water crisis in the American Southwest.
The Colorado River basin supplies water to 40 million people and millions of acres of farmland across seven U.S. states. Most of the groundwater losses since 2003 have occurred in the lower basin states of Arizona, Nevada, and California. Much of the blame lies in overpumping, as industrial-scale agriculture, particularly in Arizona, has expanded rapidly— often without regulation. While surface water declines are visible in images of receding reservoirs and rivers, groundwater loss is far less apparent, making it difficult to track and manage.
Researchers also found that the pace of freshwater loss has accelerated significantly in the past decade, with depletion occurring three times faster since 2015. This rapid drawdown is being driven not only by agricultural demand but also by newer pressures like water-hungry data centers and rising regional temperatures.
“Everyone in the US should be worried about it, because we grow a lot of food in the Colorado River basin, and that’s food that’s used all over the entire country,”
As climate change intensifies drought and evaporation, more sustainable water management strategies are urgently needed. Initiatives like the Canada1Water project (C1W) play a critical role in this broader effort. By providing high-resolution data on groundwater, climate, and hydrology, C1W helps researchers and policymakers assess water vulnerabilities and develop integrated, science-based responses to safeguard North America’s freshwater future.