What Science Says About Colorado’s Looming 2050 Water Crisis

Western Colorado is the warmest place I've ever lived during the summer months. Grand Junction spends most of July and August above 95 degrees, so we are very thankful for our pools, splashpads, and the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers.

By 2050, will Colorado still be able to depend on these resources? Some believe the data shows the Centennial State could actually run dry in another twenty-five years, with demand expected to exceed supply by hundreds of billions of gallons (News11).

What’s Driving Colorado's Water Gap?

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• When it comes to a looming water crunch in Colorado, three problems that are hard to solve include how quickly people are moving here (or being brought here), a warmer and drier Colorado, and a shrinking snowpack that once was more than enough.
• New residents require more drinking water and new development. Each year, warmer temperatures have tapped the snowmelt and reduced our river flows. The Nature Conservancy predicts that streamflow in the region could decrease by 30% by 2050, resulting in even less water for those in need

How Big Is That Gap Again?

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It can be hard to imagine how much water hundreds of billions of gallons really is, but Colorado could be short by a staggering amount by 2050. Our farms use the most water, but many are likely to be left without 15% to 35% of the supply they need to grow crops.

Our cities and industries could miss out on 10% to 25% of what we need each year. One estimate is that we will be short about 240 billion gallons per year. Dive further by reviewing the Colorado Water Plan spreadsheet from Steelworks.

Running Out” Inevitable—or Are There Fixes?

Not the best news, right? Well, running out of water is not inevitable, but we have got lots of work to do. Colorado Conservation says the state aims for a 10% reduction in demand by 2050. Western Slope communities are already talking about smarter storage and better efficiency. In 2024, Colorado House Bill 24-1379 was signed to further protect our wetlands from development.

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