| Over the past decade the Western US has experienced extreme drought conditions, which have affected both agricultural and urban areas. Given the importance of the Colorado River for meeting water demand in several Western states, it is vital to understand how water is transported and managed throughout the basin. In this research, we use remotely sensed, modeled, and in situ data to evaluate water storage changes and the effects of management on the Colorado River basin. In Chapter 1, we relate lake area estimates and lake height data to obtain reservoir volume changes in Lakes Mead and Powell. In Chapter 2, we isolate groundwater storage changes from terrestrial water storage anomalies using a water balance approach and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data. In Chapter 3, we estimate evapotranspiration (ET) which includes the effects of management in the Upper and Lower Colorado basin and compare our results to simulations representing natural ET rates without management impacts. Finally, in Chapter 4, we explore management implications of these findings for the highly populated Lower Colorado basin. We couple population projections and current water use for Las Vegas, Central Arizona and Southern California to evaluate water supply scenarios. This analysis provides information for water managers in the Colorado River Basin that should be useful for managing scarce water resources more sustainably. |
