surface water
Winter Outlook Grim for AZ, NM
Warm temperatures and dry conditions prevailed across Arizona and New Mexico last month, according to the November Southwest Climate Outlook from CLIMAS.
Changing Energy Sources Would Conserve Texas Water
Extracting natural gas to meet the energy demands of Texas uses less fresh water than coal extraction, according to a new study published in Environmental Research Letters. The authors use recent data from groundwater basins and power plants to determine the water intensity of natural gas and Texas lignite—a ty
Melting Sea Ice Amplifies Global Warming
Last week Arctic sea ice reached its smallest extent since record keeping began in 1979 and has now dropped below 1.54 million square miles, with at least one week still left in the melt season, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado Boulder.
CA Announces Ambitious Fix to Water Woes
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and California Governor Jerry Brown announced their plan for moving forward on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, which will include two 35-mile tunnels
Committee Gives Recommendations on Middle Rio Grande Conservation
The Secretary’s Committee for the Middle Rio Grande Conservation Initiative recently released a report detailing its recommendations for improving management of the Middle Rio Grande—about 180 miles of river flowing throug
Humans Have Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Ocean Temperatures
Two new papers published in Nature Climate Change determine human influence on greenhouse gas emissions and ocean temperatures.
Groundwater Pumping a Large Contributor to Sea Level Rise
About 42 percent of the observed sea-level rise between 1961 and 2003, or about 0.03 inches per year, were from sources other than thermal expansion and melting glaciers and ice sheets, according to a new study in Nature Geoscience.
New Products Assess Effects of Climate Change on Water Availability
In order to evaluate the effects of climate change on water availability in the U.S., Department of the Interior agencies have released two new products.
Stream Temperatures Warming Slower Than Previously Thought
Stream temperatures in the western U.S. are not warming as quickly as scientists expected, according to a new study in Geophysical Research Letters.
Colorado River Recreation Boosts Economic Activity
Recreation along the Colorado River stimulates an estimated $25.6 billion in economic activity per year for the six states—Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—through which the river and its tributaries flow (California, which borders the river in the southeast part of the state, was not included in the analysis due to sparse population in the area of the state