Water experts: Climate change intensifying effects of persistent drought.
Pelligrino said the average temperature was up 8 degrees during March in Colorado, home of the snowcap that feeds the Colorado River and, in turn, Lake Mead.
Data recently published on the issue said the drought was caused by temperature changes.
A temperature curve created for the 11,000 years of data shows that temperatures peaked about 8,000 years ago and dropped thereafter, but recently the temperature is beginning to rise again, which Lachniet said is the effect of global warming.
Lachniet said that humans can play a role in how hot it gets and, in turn, how much water is lost, by reducing greenhouse gases to keep the temperature from rising too dramatically.
“The Colorado River is really the hallmark of cooperation for river basins working together,” Pelligrino said.
The latest project being tested is a water-smart meter used by some of Nevada’s largest water users.
The data can then be used to address any issues relating to water conservation to be as efficient as possible.
“By the end of 2020 we’ll be able to pump from a level in Lake Mead that provides better water quality than we have now,” she said.
“We’re already starting to access that portion of a project — the ability to pump water from the Colorado River, even if there’s not enough water in Lake Mead to deliver it downstream.” The project’s $1.4 billion cost was financed without any state or federal funding.