Industry News
Colorado, a state known for its mountains, is currently experiencing its worst snowpack in recorded history. Records only date back to 1987, but as we approach the midpoint of the season, things don’t look great.
Why is snowpack so important? A lower snowpack could mean water cuts, but experts say not to worry yet. According to water managers in Colorado, the state usually only builds 20% of its snowpack by this time of year, with February, March, and April typically being the snowiest months.
Unpredictable, changing conditions require communities to be adaptable. Lower snowpacks would mean less available water for residents–something especially important during the warm, dry, summer months. Landscapes will need to become more drought-resistant over time if they are to be sustainable, and water use will need to be strategically thought out as the resource becomes more and more valuable and limited.
Who would suffer the most from a water shortage? Well, Colorado is the source of a very significant river–the appropriately named Colorado River. The Colorado River Basin supplies water to residents and farmers across many Western states as well as Mexico, and a drought would inevitably contribute to ongoing negotiations about water allocation. The Colorado River supplies drinking water for one in 10 Americans. Arguments over who gets what dates all the way back to a treaty signed in 1922, the Colorado River Compact. Furthermore, a lack of water brings a heightened wildfire risk.
A lower snowpack can cause droughts due to the lower amount of water that flows from mountains during the spring and summer months. With less of a snowpack to start with, snow also melts faster and disappears earlier leaving plants exposed in dry soil for more of the spring and summer seasons. This lack of water often leads to droughts which brings a heightened risk of wildfires. Vegetation dries out or dies, creating an abundance of highly flammable and available fuel should a spark come by from human activity or natural causes such as lightning.
This isn’t just an issue for skiers and snowboarders, but for Americans all across the country. A lower snowpack brings challenges from agricultural instability, to water shortages across communities, to energy output reliant on hydroelectricity. Ultimately, it’s in everyone’s best interest for the world to have consistent yearly snowfall that we can rely on for the aforementioned reasons.
