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Dire Conditions Across the West

Dead fish arranged into a circle on the cracked mud.
Dead fish arranged into a circle on the cracked mud. Photo: John Locher (AP)

The lake is facing the same dire conditionsas much of the Colorado River on which it sits: a one-two punch of human overuse and drought. Across the West, climate change is supercharging the worst drought the region has seen in more than 1,000 years. A punishingly dry Western winter with lower-than-usual snowfall in many states provided little relief for the river this spring. Meanwhile, the decades-long chronic overuse of water from the river is becoming alarmingly apparent as conditions get more dire.

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