Nearly One In 10 U.S. Watersheds Is Stressed; Demand For Water Outpacing Supply: CIRES Study

Nearly one in 10 U.S. watersheds is “stressed,” with demand for water exceeding natural supply, according to a new, CIRES-led analysis of surface water in the United States. This map shows all stressed watersheds in the continental United States (1999-2007), with color indicating increasing levels of stress, from light green to red. (Map – CIRES)

CIRES Study - Sectoral contributions to surface water stress in the coterminous United States

huffingtonpost.com - by Matt Ferner - September 24, 2013

Nearly one in 10 watersheds in the United States is "stressed," with demand for water exceeding natural supply -- a trend that appears likely to become the new normal, according to a recent study.

"By midcentury, we expect to see less reliable surface water supplies in several regions of the United States," said Kristen Averyt, associate director for science at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado-Boulder and one of the authors of the study. “This is likely to create growing challenges for agriculture, electrical suppliers and municipalities, as there may be more demand for water and less to go around.”

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Also see:

CIRES - Today’s worst watershed stresses may become the new normal, study

University of Colorado - Boulder - Today’s worst watershed stresses may become the new normal, study