Drought versus Aridification in the Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River Basin is no stranger to drought. However, not all droughts are the same. Drought refers to a temporary state where conditions eventually return to normal. Aridification is the transition to persistent above-average dry conditions that do not return to normal. It is important to know whether the current, prolonged millennium drought (2000-present) is actually the first stages of aridification, because planning for and managing a drought is different than aridification.
This team was prompted after input from external partners, cooperators, and collaborators in the Colorado River Basin during the Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science (ASIST) stakeholder engagement workshop series in 2023. The purpose of the workshop in the spring of 2023 was to better understand gaps in Colorado River Basin drought science from the perspective of USGS’s partners. The objective of this geonarrative is to address a key question partners asked about whether the Basin should be managed as if it’s in a drought, or as if it’s aridifying, and explore ways that the USGS can provide information that will inform aridification assessment and drought related decision-making.
USGS Scientists have created a new geonarrative with graphics, animations, and text providing information about whether the Basin could be managed for drought conditions (relatively short-term dry conditions) or for aridification (a much longer period of dry conditions). This geonarrative describes ways that USGS can provide information that informs decision making for those situations in the Colo
The Colorado River Basin's Millennium Drought The Colorado River Basin's Millennium Drought
The Colorado River Basin is no stranger to drought. However, not all droughts are the same. Drought refers to a temporary state where conditions eventually return to normal. Aridification is the transition to persistent above-average dry conditions that do not return to normal. It is important to know whether the current, prolonged millennium drought (2000-present) is actually the first stages of aridification, because planning for and managing a drought is different than aridification.
This team was prompted after input from external partners, cooperators, and collaborators in the Colorado River Basin during the Actionable and Strategic Integrated Science (ASIST) stakeholder engagement workshop series in 2023. The purpose of the workshop in the spring of 2023 was to better understand gaps in Colorado River Basin drought science from the perspective of USGS’s partners. The objective of this geonarrative is to address a key question partners asked about whether the Basin should be managed as if it’s in a drought, or as if it’s aridifying, and explore ways that the USGS can provide information that will inform aridification assessment and drought related decision-making.
USGS Scientists have created a new geonarrative with graphics, animations, and text providing information about whether the Basin could be managed for drought conditions (relatively short-term dry conditions) or for aridification (a much longer period of dry conditions). This geonarrative describes ways that USGS can provide information that informs decision making for those situations in the Colo