Shrinking Colorado River Aquifers Make up 65% of the Basin’s Water Loss

NASA satellites show that groundwater around the Colorado River is decreasing at an unsustainable pace, writes James Acker in Earth Data. 

While it’s easy to notice dropping water levels in the river’s above-ground reservoirs, measuring groundwater loss is more difficult. “However, the loss in volume can be detected by satellites in space. By measuring the change in the force of gravity in the region caused by the decreased amount of water in the reservoirs and aquifers, researchers can estimate the volume of water removed.”

A recent study found that the Colorado’s reservoirs and aquifers combined lost a total of 52 cubic kilometers of water since 2002. Groundwater loss made up 65 percent of that total. According to Acker, “Such a loss is not sustainable, and the risk of running out of freshwater is potentially serious.”

The satellite data is verified with the he North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS). Acker adds, “The results of this research are significant for resource managers in the region to consider, particularly for agricultural interests and communities, including Native American tribal lands.”