Navigating a river of knowledge
In recent decades, increasing water demand, dry conditions, and warming temperatures have impacted the Colorado River, creating greater uncertainty about the future of the basin’s water supply. With support and guidance from over a dozen federal, state, and local water agencies, WWA researchers teamed up with leading experts to integrate nearly 800 peer-reviewed studies, agency reports, and other sources to assess the state of the science and technical practice relevant to water resources in the Colorado River Basin.
Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science aims to create a shared understanding of the physical setting and the latest data, tools, and research underpinning the management of Colorado River water resources. In identifying both challenges and opportunities, the report will guide water resource managers and researchers in efforts to improve the short-term and mid-term forecasts and long-term projections for the basin's water system.
Recent Webinars
Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science, Part 1
-
Western Water Assessment's Jeff Lukas and Liz Payton discussed an overview of the recently released report, Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science, followed by Q&A.
Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science, Part 2
-
Western Water Assessment's Jeff Lukas and Liz Payton, along with Steph McAfee (University of Nevada, Reno), took a closer look at the observations of weather, climate, and hydrology that are fundamental to Colorado River water supply, water demand, and system condition forecasts and projections.
Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science, Part 3
-
This third installment in the Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science report webinar series focused on Chapter 2, which covers moisture sources, storm tracks, seasonality of precipitation, the influence of topography and elevation, snowmelt, groundwater, mechanisms of variability, and recent trends. After summarizing the current understanding in these areas, Jeff Lukas and Liz Payton concluded with research challenges and opportunities, followed by Q&A.
Colorado River Hydrology Research Symposium Webinar Series. This three-part series expands on the opportunities identified in the 2020 Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science report. The series, hosted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and partners from the Colorado River Climate and Hydrology Work Group, highlights the latest weather and streamflow data, tools, and research that could potentially be used to improve Colorado River water resources management.
New Models and Data to Inform the River Forecast Center Water Supply Forecasts
-
Colorado River Hydrology Research Symposium Webinar Series. This three-part series expands on the opportunities identified in the 2020 Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science report. The series, hosted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and partners from the Colorado River Climate and Hydrology Work Group, highlights the latest weather and streamflow data, tools, and research that could potentially be used to improve Colorado River water resources management.
Prospects for Advancing Hydroclimatic Prediction at Seasonal and Longer Timescale
-
Colorado River Hydrology Research Symposium Webinar Series. This three-part series expands on the opportunities identified in the 2020 Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science report. The series, hosted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and partners from the Colorado River Climate and Hydrology Work Group, highlights the latest weather and streamflow data, tools, and research that could potentially be used to improve Colorado River water resources management.
Decision Science
-
Colorado River Hydrology Research Symposium Webinar Series. This three-part series expands on the opportunities identified in the 2020 Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology: State of the Science report. The series, hosted by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) and partners from the Colorado River Climate and Hydrology Work Group, highlights the latest weather and streamflow data, tools, and research that could potentially be used to improve Colorado River water resources management.
Editors and Lead Authors:
Jeff Lukas (WWA) and Elizabeth Payton (WWA)
Quotes about the report
“Not only does this report analyze in extraordinary detail the latest data, discoveries, and decision support tools that are used in the basin, but it also lists a series of opportunities for using science and technology to help improve our understanding of current and future hydrologic conditions.”
- Colby Pellegrino, Director of Water Resources, Southern Nevada Water Authority
"This is by far the most comprehensive scientific report ever produced about the Southwest’s iconic river. Scientists summarize what they think about the past, present and future of the river and also provide challenges and opportunities for improving science to assist decision making in the 21st century."
- Brad Udall, Senior Water and Climate Research Scientist, Colorado Water Center, Colorado State University
"In connecting the dots between data, methods, models, and projections of future conditions, the State of the Science Report identifies both challenges and opportunities for strategic integration of new research and operational decision-making. It will provide an invaluable foundation for future research, planning and management in the Basin. The relationships between scientists, stakeholders, and Federal agencies that made this Report possible are critical to Reclamation’s ongoing commitment to using sound science in its management of the Colorado River."
- Terry Fulp, Regional Director, Interior Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin, Bureau of Reclamation
Download the Report
Full report (Recommended; 80 mb PDF with high-resolution figures)
Full report (18 mb PDF with low-resolution figures)
By Chapter:
- Chapter 1 - Introduction
- Chapter 2 - Current Understanding of Colorado River Basin Climate and Hydrology
- Chapter 3 - Primary Planning Tools
- Chapter 4 - Observations—Weather and Climate
- Chapter 5 - Observations—Hydrology
- Chapter 6 - Hydrologic Models
- Chapter 7 - Weather and Climate Forecasting
- Chapter 8 - Streamflow Forecasting
- Chapter 9 - Historical Hydrology
- Chapter 10 - Paleohydrology
- Chapter 11 - Climate Change-Informed Hydrology