Western drought worst in 500 years

[GreenPartyVoter]

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- The drought gripping the West could be the biggest in 500 years, with effects in the Colorado River basin considerably worse than during the Dust Bowl years, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey said Thursday.

"That we can now say with confidence," said Robert Webb, lead author of the new fact sheet. "Now I'm completely convinced."

The Colorado River has been in a drought for the entire decade, cutting an important source of water for millions of people across the West, including Southern California.

Environmental groups said the report reinforces the need to figure out a better way to manage the Colorado River before reservoirs run dry.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/06/18/recorddrought.ap/index.html

[Quixote1818]

1. The drought is spotty

Some places in the West had a good winter and in fact parts of Colorado including the San Juan Mountains got normal snowfall but the front range which mostly feeds the Colorado had a really bad winter. Way, way, way below normal! New Mexico had a bad winter but a great spring which put us above normal for the year now we have not had rain for seventy straight days here in Albuquerque. Still rainfall amounts for the year are on track pending a good monsoon which starts the first week in July. They should not judge the drought on just one River. They should combine all the major western rivers runoff for the past ten years and that would be a better indicator of how bad the drought is. I am skeptical of data just from one major river. What about the Rio Grande, the Snake, the Columbia, the Missouri, the Gila, the Pecos etc. etc.???

This graph shows that Sierra Blanca in New Mexico is actually two inches above normal for the year: http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/wygraph-multi.pl?state=NM&wateryear=2004&stationidname=05r01s-SIERRA%20BLANCA

While the front range of Colorado is in real bad shape:
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/cgibin/wygraph-multi.pl?state=CO&wateryear=2004&stationidname=05k14s-BERTHOUD%20SUMMIT

[Morning Dew]

4. anecdotally

back at the beginning of May, my brother in law was telling me that where he lives in Nebraska, much of the Platte River is just a mud flat from long term drought.

[Quixote1818]

5. The Platte like the Colorado River is feed by the front range in Colorado

[Doctor Smith]

2. I didn't think the dust bowl particularly affected the West.

Isn't that why farmers packed up and moved west?

[Kali]

3. depends on location

to me New Mexico is back east ha ha