The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

Published: November 1996

Authors: Jason Morrison, Sandra L. Postel, and Peter Gleick

Pages: 77



The Sustainable Use of Water in the Lower Colorado River Basin

Overview

 As of 1996, the Colorado River supplied water to nearly 30 million people and irrigated more than 1.5 million hectares of farmland in the United States and Mexico. But the diversion of a huge amount of river water was causing serious harm to the balance of life that existed previously in the delta.

This report, a collaboration between the Global Water Policy Project and the Pacific Institute, defines the unsustainable nature of patterns of water use in the Colorado Basin. It demonstrates how technologies, policy actions, and management strategies can be combined to achieve a more sustainable use of water in the region, promoting economic prosperity while supporting ecosystem health. 

Resources

 

 

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