When the air gets hotter, it can hold more moisture. That means it draws more water from soils, rivers, and even crops, something scientists call “atmospheric thirst.” According to the nonprofit research group Climate Central, nearly three-quarters of the increased atmospheric thirst in the western U.S. is linked to human-caused climate change.
The effects are evident across Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah — regions where water supplies are already stretched thin.
“We’re in a difficult time now,” said Thomas Swetnam, a climate scientist at the University of Arizona. “It’s a time when water conservation is really critical, and we really need to be thinking about how to use the water for the best value.”
“And also we need to reduce the impacts, reduce the cause – greenhouse gases.”
The study also found that droughts are taking longer to end. Recovery now takes up to four months more than it used to, pushing the average drought in the West to more than a year.
Those extended dry periods are shrinking rivers, parching farmland, and heightening wildfire risks.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between KUNR, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio, KJZZ in Arizona and NPR, with additional support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
