It's no surprise that the Colorado River holds its place as the number one Most Endangered River for the second year in a row, as outdated water management, over-use, and climate change all pose great risks to this national treasure.
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Cultural health, sacred places, and traditional food sources are threatened along the Colorado River's Grand Canyon, Alaska's Chilkat River, and Washington's Snake River.
We are proud to join with partners like those advocating for the future of America's Most Endangered Rivers® of 2023. Together, we must defend these 10 rivers — and demand greater protections for all 3 million miles of rivers across our country.
Right now, there is only about 7 million acre-feet flowing into the Canyon in 2022. But levels are still declining, and we are getting closer to the point where Glen Canyon Dam cannot generate electricity, and potentially even worse, where water really can't safely flow through the dam at all.
Flows on the Colorado River have declined nearly 20 percent over the past two decades because of climate change, and overuse of the river's water has left Lake Mead and Lake Powell on the brink of being unable to generate hydropower at their dams or allow the river to flow past them.
The Colorado River Is Drying Up: How This Impacts the Grand Canyon's Future. The Colorado River runs roughly 1,450 miles in its entirety, originating in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and gaining momentum from snowmelt and tributaries as it winds south towards Mexico.
Rebecca Thiele. The White River from the Indianapolis Art Center's ArtsPark. Indiana has the most miles of rivers and streams deemed too polluted to swim in of any state. Indiana has the most polluted rivers and streams of any state.
What happens if Lake Mead dries up forever? If Lake Mead were to run out of water, the Hoover Dam would no longer be able to generate power or provide water to surrounding cities and farms. The Colorado River would essentially stop flowing, and the Southwest would be in a major water crisis.
Key Points. Lake Mead has dropped by 70% due to droughts in the West and it will take many years to refill again, naturally. The reservoir is vitally important to millions of people as a source of water, electricity, and recreation.
Seven states and 30 Native American tribes lie in the Colorado River Basin. As we first reported in 2021, the river has been running dry due to the historically severe drought. The majestic, meandering Colorado River that cut through these red cliffs, carving the Grand Canyon, is a wonder of nature and human ingenuity.
Encompassing an estimated 1,218.37 acres (1,904 square miles), the Canyon is capable of holding 1 – 2 quadrillion gallons of water. Really. If you poured all the river water on Earth into the Grand Canyon, it would still only be about half full.