Increasing temperatures will cause more rainfall to occur. They will make mountain snowpack melt sooner in the summer, diminishing the natural reserve traditionally supplied western rivers all through the dry summer months. Climate change has the potential to affect water accessibility across the country drastically. And building another additional dam is undoubtedly not the solution.

Higher temperatures will also boost evaporation from dams and lakes around the country. It will cancel out increases in rainfall in certain locations while amplifying declines in others. In fact, dams on the Colorado River already lose a significant quantity of water to evaporation in a typical year, accounting for around 13% of the river’s yearly flow.

Furthermore, more frequent storms imply more contaminated runoff from agricultural and industrial areas, which picks up contaminants from the ground and transports them to adjoining rivers. Rainstorms can overwhelm older areas where rainwater and sewage are delivered through the same pipe, dumping contaminated water and filthy runoff into local waterways.

Green Resource Advocates strives to preserve water quality and promote and enforce clean air standards for communities and the environment to flourish.

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