As the American Southwest gets hotter and drier, its dwindling rivers are leaving the region’s vast network of reservoirs struggling to keep up.
Yadu Pokhrel, Red Cedar Distinguished Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan State University, collaborated with researchers to complete a study showing Lakes Mead and Powell have helped offset as much as 40% of the recent river losses, but that cushion is shrinking fast. When depleted, the system’s flexibility to meet water demands from cities, farms, and ecosystems will narrow sharply.
Leaning too heavily on stored water is problematic. When reservoir levels fall, recovery becomes harder each year. Pokhrel and his collaborators say the real solution is two-fold: reducing water consumption and planning future operations that account for shifts in both future water availability and demands.
To support this, the team developed an advanced modeling tool that simulates how changes in temperature, snowpack, and land conditions affect water flows and storage. Unlike traditional models, it links hydrology, vegetation, climate, and water management in ways that mirror real-world complexities – both natural and management-induced.
By providing a clearer picture of how drought and rising temperatures affect the water system, the modeling tool offers a path toward smarter, more adaptive management in an increasingly arid future.
To explore Pokhrel’s work in more depth, visit:
Yadu Pokhrel's Research Website [Website]
Irrigation-induced land water depletion aggravated by climate change [Article]
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page
